


Hurting

by OsoloNewsDay (TheOtherPerson), screamqueen18



Series: Hurting Universe [1]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Eventual O'Harli, F/F, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Pain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 14:50:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 38,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7762141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOtherPerson/pseuds/OsoloNewsDay, https://archiveofourown.org/users/screamqueen18/pseuds/screamqueen18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carli takes the weight of the world on her shoulders and lets it crush her after the lose against Sweden in the Olympics. She goes for a run alone without telling anyone and collapses. Will the team be able to find her? Will she be ok?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an eventual O'Harli - everything else side pairing - Hope(alpha)/Kelley(alpha)/Carli(omega))

Carli Lloyd slipped out of her hotel room, wincing at the burning feeling in her legs, and how it seemed to course through her whole body. Trying to stay unnoticed by staff and security she used a back door to get out of the hotel the team was staying in Brasilia. It was late, the sky already turning shades of pink and purple as the sun set low in the sky. The air was cooler than it had been earlier, but anything would feel cold on Carli’s burning skin.

As soon as her feet touched the pavement, she took off running. Pushing past the pain in her legs, her feet pounded the sidewalk hard. The longer she ran, the more her mind raced. ‘This is all my fault. We’re going home because of me.’ The words flashed through her mind, and she ran harder trying to escape them. The weight of the world, a hope of a country, and a legacy of the USWNT had been ruined by her leadership.

Trying desperately to ignore the numbness creeping up her calves, she pushed harder. She didn’t even know where she was at this point; she was just running. The streets of Brasilia had blurred together long ago as she edged to the outskirts. She had been running in one direction for so long that the city had become mostly scattered homes among vast patches of agriculture. It was all a blur to her now. The directions and path she had taken were fogged by the tears she had tried not shed as she ran, ran as fast as she could away from the voices in her head that never silenced no matter how far she got.

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain, and her legs gave out from under her, sending her crashing to the ground. The midfielder tried desperately to catch herself, arms extending but found the ground rising up to meet her faster than expected. Her head hit the ground, and everything went black.

\---

Horan was nervous. She didn’t want to bring this up with the vets or the staff, but it had been four hours and Carli was still nowhere to be found. She hadn’t really started looking until about a hour ago when she had mentioned to Moe that their captain was missing. Morgan Brian had been on the team much longer so she knew this was odd behavior for the older midfielder. When she dealt with a particularly hard loss she’d normally go talk or just sit with Hope. Both girls knew that Hope hadn’t been open to her teammate this time. The keeper had been so distraught that she couldn’t really cope with anyone else's emotions, much less her own. She was probably off fucking her mate Kelley somewhere. Everyone was steering clear of their room. There was a distinct smell of alpha about it.

The two had looked everywhere. They had even gone to the Swedish team to ask if anyone had seen her. When Pia heard about their questions, she had immediately sent the girls off to talk to their own coaches and teammates about the missing captain. The Swedish coach’s reaction spoke volumes, her face changing from one of happiness to one of pure concern. Pia knew Carli. She had worked with the girl. She had always gotten the vibe that the midfielder did not deal with disappointment well. If she was missing, then there was a good chance she might have gone and done something stupid.

Horan and Moe knocked on Becky’s door, wanting to talk to their other captain rather than facing what was probably a drunk Jill on their own. The US coach was feeling the loss as hard as everyone else. She had won them the World Cup, but she had lost them the Olympics. It was heart breaking. Only Dawn knew how much the Head Coach doubted herself. It was one of the reason she was privy to sharing the bottle of rum the British woman had bribed room service for. Moe might have been playing for the senior team for a while now, but dealing with a tipsy Jill Ellis and Dawn Scott was far behind her wheelhouse.

“What do you want?” Becky asked. She was not normally so rude or blunt, but she really didn’t want to deal with the runts today. She had been crying not an hour ago into Julie’s shirt. The poor omega was probably tired of being used as a personal snot rag at this point.

“Carli’s missing,” Morgan blurted. Her tact was no tact. Horan felt like shaking her head. It probably would have been smarter to have gone alone to talk to their co-captain.

“What do you mean missing?” The defender was suddenly more alert. The girls couldn’t possibly mean missing. Carli was a leader. She wouldn’t have done something as reckless as sneaking out. That was a rookie move, not something a vet would do.

“I mean we haven’t seen her in four hours, and she’s nowhere in the hotel.”

“Fuck,” the normally calm defender cursed. “Why didn’t you two find me sooner?”

“Sorry,” Lindsey tried to say, but the older woman was already walking back into her room directing her fellow defender to change into one of Becky’s tops seeing as JJ’s was now soaked from earlier tears shed by both.

“We wanted to look before we worried anyone. Even the Swedes haven’t seen her,” Moe said lamely. Realizing now that maybe she should have just told Horan to get the others immediately. She had already suspected deep down that Carli had run off. It was so unlike the older woman that she had tried to convince herself otherwise. They were all hurting today, who knew what the omega could get herself in trouble with.

“Where have you checked?” Becky demanded, coming back out of her room with a new shirt on, and Julie close behind.

“The hotel, and with Pia and the Swedish team,” Moe said looking around the hallway at their teammates’ closed doors. “She could be with Hope though, couldn’t she?”

“Doubt it,” Becky said shaking her head as she led the way to Jill’s room. “Hope’s with Kelley. They’re probably fucking their emotions out. She won’t be in the middle of that.”

“Then where did she go?” Lindsey pressed, not having any clue about this side of their co-captain.

Becky’s eyes darkened, “Mittsy told me about this a long time ago, but she said it was just a phase during the 2011 World Cup…”

“What’s a phase?” Moe half-yelled impatiently. “Where is she?”

“Running,” Becky said simply.

“We know that,” Horan said confusedly, “That’s why we came and got you. We don’t know where she is.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Becky said. They approached Jill’s door, knocking loudly on it until their coach answered, eyeing them blearily. Seeing Jill’s mouth open, Becky cut her off. “Carli’s missing.”


	2. Informing the Others

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Becky, JJ, Moe, and Lindsey inform the rest of the team of Carli's disappearance, leading them to some awkward moments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This does mentioned someone being possibly raped, but they weren't so. Just so you know.

Jill had, however unsober she might be, ordered the group to get the rest of the team. Lindsey had tried to mention that some might be pre-occupied, but Dawn, who had also been more than a little intoxicated, just yelled at them to ‘hurry up’.

The players that might be in more compromising positions and less likely to answer the door were Becky’s responsibility, much to her disdain. She would rather have Lindsey, another alpha, go, but she was a leader now and that included less than savory tasks such as this. She wouldn’t make Julie or Moe go, not to deal with a possibly angry alpha.

Moe flat out refused to go by herself for fear of interrupting someone’s sexy times - as Klingenberg called it. Julie rolled her eyes as they discussed who would go where. In the end, Becky only had to go get Ashlyn, Ali, Hope, Kelley, Tobin, and Christen. Three stops in total, but would probably take the longest to get done. Alphas weren’t known for being pleased when interrupted mid-coitus.

Julie took the omegas she knew would be safe bets. Pugh, Dunn, Alyssa, O’Reilly, Long, and lastly Sonnett - who wouldn’t be doing anything as she was totally hung up on Lindsey, though the alpha was too dense to see it. Which left Alex, Kling, Pinoe, Whitney, and Sam for the Team Dunderhead (as Ellis had dubbed them one practice).

Becky sighed as she approached Tobin and Christen’s room, fingering the master key card Jill had given her. Bringing her fist up she pounded loudly on the door shouting for the couple inside.

“What do you want?” snapped an angry Tobin opening the door, the boxers she had pulled on barely concealing her full erection.

“Carli’s missing,” Becky replied briskly. “We have no clue where she is, but it’s getting dark and it not safe for her to be out by herself at night.”

The midfielder’s mouth was opened like a guppy’s as every cuss word she was about to utter at Becky for interrupting them, died on her tongue. She knew this was serious. Her brain had just enough blood still pumping through it to care about something other than her own dick, something rather rare for many Alphas. “Wha- how long?”

“Several hours now. We’re meeting in ten in the conference room,” Becky stated, turning around. The smell of another alpha’s den thick with sex made her nauseous. The hairs on the nape of her neck stood on end, as a growl she barely suppressed rumbled in her chest. She didn’t even wait for Tobin to respond, but she could have sworn she heard her yelling at Press, ‘sexy-times are over’.

Tobin was the easy one. She was the alpha that was most like an omega. She wasn’t the jealous type. She didn’t get possessive, and she certainly didn’t participate in stupid alpha battles. She had been the safe bet to start with. The defender sighed as she went for Ash and Ali’s room. She could only hope that they hadn’t finished yet. Ashlyn, in her early days - at least according to Whitney (her college roommate) - she had been known as ‘quick draw’. Becky swore if the pair was knotted then she was just going to forget about Hope and Kelley. She didn’t want to be scarred for life. The couple was more than a little kinky and also highly unlikely to answer the door.

Julie wanted to groan. Three teammates - Long, O’Reilly, and Dunn -  had been sobbing when she had finally gotten them to open their doors. At least they seemed to be able to get themselves together long enough to hear about Carli. With any luck, the missing co-captain would take their mind off their own pain.

It took several knocks for Mallory to open the door. The young forward looked like a mess. Her tears had long since dried into non-waterproof mascara streaks. No one expected tears from that match. How wrong they had all been. Losing to the Swedes in the quarterfinals had been the hardest blow for the team in a long time.

“Hey JJ,” Mal said softly, “What’s up?”

“We’re having a team meeting kid,” Julie said, pushing the girl’s hair out of her face. “Carli’s missing.”

“Missing?” the striker questioned. “What do you mean?”

“Lindsey hasn’t seen her for hours, and when she and Moe searched, she was nowhere to be found.”

“But couldn’t she be in a room with someone? Talking or something maybe?”

“I hope so kid, I hope so,” JJ said softly. “But come on, we’ve got to grab the others and meet up.”

Walking over to Sonnet’s door, the defender knocked insistently until the blonde answered. “JJ?” the alpha asked confused. “What’s happening?”

The alternate’s eyes were puffy, and she subconsciously reached up and rubbed them.

“Carli’s missing. C’mon we have a team meeting. We need to find her.”

“Missing?” Sonnet questioned, stepping into her room to grab her keycard and phone, as well as throwing her hair into a messy bun and grabbing a hoodie. “Like she’s gone?”

“Yep,” JJ sighed. “We have no clue where she is, and it’s getting dark. It’s not safe for her to be out by herself, being an omega and all.”

“Shit,” Sonnet breathed. “I completely forgot she was an omega.”

“She has that tendency,” JJ said walking Mal and Sonnet down the hallway to the conference room on their floor, seeing some of their teammates walking ahead of them. “She hates being treated like she’s less capable, but that doesn’t matter now, we have to find her.”

Moe groaned. She should have chosen to go with JJ. The older midfielder would have bet good money that the blonde cinnamon roll had yet to interrupt any of their teammate’s mid-self pleasuring. God, that had been awkward. Pinoe’s face had been a cross between a tomato and a sweaty elf. Someone had obviously been on the phone with her girlfriend getting a little comforting in the most primal way.

Kling had been easy at least. One look at her former Dash teammate and current Portland Thorns teammate and knew something was wrong. She took her marching orders and went to the conference room without any further words. Apparently Carli disappearing wasn't altogether unsurprising to the defender. If Kling had thought that she could have gotten past the staff, then she might have gone for a nice long run too. She was hurting enough to do something risky. Apparently, Carli, who was more than smart enough to get past the staff, had felt the same.

Lindsey knocked on Sam’s door. The WNY Flash player took a moment to answer the door, she was holding up her iPad, Stephanie McCaffrey smiling face on the screen. Moe and Lindsey didn’t smile back.

“Hey guys,” Steph said. She was about to say more but Lindsey held up her hand.

“She has to go,” the Portland Thorns midfielder said, clicking the call end button on Facetime. She knew it was rude, but she really didn’t have time for all this. Spending several hours looking for their captain had already set her on edge, not to mention the team getting out in the quarterfinals, but that sadness was a given. “Get your shit Mew, and get down to the conference room.”

Horan started to walk off. Seeing Pinoe’s sweaty turned on face had really set her in a bad mood. She really just wanted to find Carli, have a good cry, and take a long, long nap. She hadn’t even gotten to let her emotions out yet like the rest of the team. She had taken about half an hour to herself to scrub the day off before she went to see where Carli was. How that had turned around on her. She really thought she’d find their captain right away.

Moe gave Sam an apologetic look. “Carli’s missing. She’s….well I think this is going to be hard on all of us. We need to find her so go down to the conference room with the others. We still got to round up the others.”

Moe looked down at her phone seeing a new text from Julie.

**Julie Johnston: Finish up and meet in the conference room. We are still trying to find Alyssa.**

Moe didn’t bother to reply, shoving the phone into her pocket, and grabbing Lindsey. The two quickly made their way to Whitney’s room, knocking loudly on the door, knowing the defender was probably curled up in bed with a book or had cried herself to sleep, anything to take her mind off the loss.

Not getting an answer, Moe pulled out the master key card Dawn had given her (the other from Jill going to Becky), sliding it into the door and calling out the blonde’s name as it opened.

“Oh my goodness!” Lindsey exclaimed, having stepped into the room first. “What the hell?”

Alyssa looked up and snarled at them, not happy with being interrupted. “Get out,” she growled.

“Shove off, Lys,” Moe said tiredly, not wanting to deal with any more shit from alphas or omegas. As she had come into the room, she had nearly choked on the pheromones. “Carli’s missing, and we have a team meeting now. You two can get busy later, after we’ve found our captain, and she’s safe.”

The alpha growled, not happy being told what to do by an omega, but a gentle kiss from Whit, accompanied by a slight push, effectively removing the alpha from inside and off the top her, let them know the two be complying.

“What happened?” the blonde defender asked concernedly, clutching a sheet to her chest.

“Carli’s gone. We don’t know where she is and we’ve been searching for hours now.”

“Fuck,” the keeper growled. “She could get seriously hurt out there, or worse.”

“We know,” Moe said, leveling her gaze to the keeper. “Meet us in the conference room when you’re dressed, others are in the same state, so don’t even worry about it.”

Still the two midfielders couldn't help but laugh after leaving the room. They would be giving both Whitney and Alyssa hell for that later. Not to mention, like most alphas, Alyssa might have trouble getting her erection down without some help. It might be some time yet before the keeper’s wood went down, meaning she, along with other alphas, would be meeting them in the conference room with full hard-ons.

It was always awkward walking in on your teammates having sex; at least they were under the covers. Becky was not so lucky when she had to go into Hope and Kelley’s room when neither would answer the door. She was met with a vision of Hope Solo balls deep in Kelley’s ass as she fucked her alpha mate with abandon. Becky immediately screamed clutching her hand over her eyes as if it could erase the images that were now burned into her brain.

“What the fuck,” Hope snarled, normally not one to mind audiences, but tonight was not the night. She was still working her frustrations out on her poor mate’s ass. “Get the fuck out of here!”

Becky wanted to throw up. The place reeked of the dominant alpha making even the senior defender whimper and want to kowtow to the goalkeeper. That wasn't the worst. The worst was that Hope hadn't stopped, much to Kelley's embarrassment just because Becky was in the room. The young defender made small noises as she tried to fight back her moans of pleasure. Hope was horny and wasn't going to stop for anything, until she heard Becky’s next words.

“Carli’s missing.”

Hope faltered in her rhythm for a second before turning her head and stopping completely. “What did you say?”

“She's missing, and we can't find her. Horan has been looking. So she hasn't been here for like five hours now. It's getting dark, and she still isn't back. What does that tell you?”

“Fuck,” Hope cursed, guilt crashing into her like a freight train. Carli had tried to talk to her, multiple times actually. Once in the locker room, then in the bus, and finally in the hallway outside of Hope’s rooms. Each time the older woman had blown her friend off. This whole mess might as well have the words ‘Hope’s Fault’ written all over it.

The alpha had always been there for her friend before. It was a ritual of theirs to talk to each other and just be close after a particularly hard loses. This time, Hope hadn’t been there for Carli, and it might just have resulted in disaster.

The keeper pulled out, much to her mate’s disappointment. The smaller alpha whined, earning her a slap on the ass. “Get moving Kel.”

Hope having no shame, was already walking around her lubed hard cock fully on display as she furiously started pulling clothes on. “Where's everyone else?”

“Meeting in the conference room. Well almost everyone,” Becky said, thinking about how Ali and Ashlyn had called through the door to her earlier saying that they'd be down as soon as they untied. At least, they'd answered somehow when their co-captain had knocked. The last thing she wanted to see was her teammates knotted, and Ali’s belly swollen with Ashlyn’s seed. She'd doubt they or the rest of the team would be using protection now. Many had already expressed a desire to expand their families.

“Ok,” Hope said, shirt hanging open and pants half undone as she tried to button them around her hard-on. “Let's go.”

She didn't even look at Kelley who only had her underwear on that point. Hope had a one-track mind now, everything else forgotten. She needed to find her best friend. Her best friend who was an omega out in a foreign city. A city that would be dark soon. One thing was for sure. Anything happened to Carli, Hope knew she'd never forgive herself.

\------

“Who do we have here?” a voice asked.

Carli moaned softly, trying to push away the hands prodding her, fighting the blackness at the edge of her consciousness. She remembered vaguely hands pressing at her earlier, her vision still coated in darkness. She was vaguely aware of a coolness on her body.

However, she wasn’t aware that the men that had robbed her had torn at her clothes to get to whatever valuables they could find on the Olympian, leaving her exposed to the elements, still bleeding from a small head wound, now with no ID or cell phone to call for help if she managed, however impossibly, to wake up.

The omega’s body felt so heavy. She barely recognized prodding fingers now as the blackness kept trying to pull her back under.

“Jane Doe, omega, early thirties, found on the side of a road near the outskirts of Brasilia. Mildly responsive, possible sexual assault, head trauma, and minor external injuries. She’s showing signs of dehydration, and has swelling of the right ankle and knee,” another voice replied.

“Okay. Order a rape kit, and let’s get some fluids in her. And see if we can get some identification,” the same voice said.

“On it,” the other voice replied.

The midfielder was mildly aware that wherever she was, she was receiving help and could let her herself go again. She allowed herself to finally succumb to the heaviness in her limbs and body, and let the blackness overtake her.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli is found as the team begins their search. Warning: Depictions of a semi-violent robber. May be a trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Depictions of a semi-violent robber. May be a trigger.

Carli didn’t know where she was, but it was dark. Not like dark as outside was. Darkness like a tunnel without light. She began to panic as flashes of what only could be memory flashed before her eyes.

\---- Flashback ----

Carli fought the blackness as she became aware of hands blindly roaming over her body.

“No, please, no!” she gasped, feeling the hands creep up the bottom of her shirt, wandering over her stomach. “Please, don’t!”

“Just get it over with,” a gruff voice said, a man coming into her view as she blearily opened her eyes, still disoriented. 

“Please…” she whimpered, trying to bring her hands up to push her attacker off of her. 

Her attacker leaned over her, before swiftly moving so he was straddling her, a smirk turning up the corner of his lips as he pulled a knife out of his pants pocket. Swiftly slicing through her shirt, he shoved the remains off her body, his gaze roaming hungrily. 

The man easily caught and pinned her hands over her head, his smirk growing as he stared at her chest. She flinched as he brought the knife up, tracing it over her cheekbone and across her lips, before bringing it down to her neck. Tracing over the hollow of her throat, he gently pressed the tip down, drawing blood and causing her to whimper. 

“What’s an omega doing all the way out here alone?” he asked as he dragged the tip of the knife down to the top of her sports bra, blood bubbling to the surface of the cut. 

Carli whimpered feeling the knife cutting through her flesh. “Went for run,” she said weakly, her mind impossibly fuzzy.

“I see,” her attacker said easily. “You should be careful, there are dangerous people out here. Far more dangerous than me.”

“Let’s go man,” another voice said, causing Carli to startle. “Hurry up.”

“You know I like to play with them,” the man said easily. “It makes it so much more fun.”

“Please,” Carli gasped, as the man cut through the strap of her sports bra, nicking her left shoulder. She wished she had chosen to carry her information and cash somewhere else. “Please, don’t.”

“You’re unmated,” he said casually, resting the knife on her heaving chest as he used his now free hand to card his fingers through her hair. “You shouldn’t have wandered out here alone little omega.”

His hard eyes locked with her tear filled chocolate orbs. “You really shouldn’t have wandered out here.”

Picking up the knife he sliced her sports bra down the middle, revealing her I.D., cellphone, and the few bills she had tucked there. 

“That’s more like it,” he grinned. 

“No please!” Carli pleaded. Her brain was so foggy, she could tell she was about to slip from consciousness again. “Need….need I.D.”

“That’s your problem isn’t it little omega?” the man said, letting his knife carelessly drag through the girl’s flesh again. “You’re lucky I only want your things, and not you.”

The American lost consciousness as her blood started pooling again, this time from a surface wound starting right above her breast traveling across the swell of her chest for little more than an inch. There was no question, it would need stitches. Many of her injuries would, not the least of which where she had hit her head. 

\-------

“Ma’am, you have to calm down,” a voice said, though Carli wasn’t very sure from where. There was a slight echo quality to the tone. Still darkness pressed in around her, accompanied by a strangely familiar thumping and swooshing sound. 

There were some more voices as she struggled realizing that she had wires and something connected to her arm. She continued to try to move desperate for an escape, until she slowly felt herself falling back into the darkness that had been there before. The nurses, although she wasn’t aware of it at the time, had sedated her again through the IV. She would do more harm than good waking up and freaking out while getting a CT scan. 

\-----

“How the fuck are we going to find her?” Hope hissed, her erection was still raging in her pants on full display for the whole team. She was scaring the living crap out of most of them. Poor Baby Mal had taken to using HAO as a shield. The girl had never seen the keeper like this, and neither had the rest of the team. The alpha rarely raged, she normally went into hyper bitch mode and froze everyone else out. She had never thrown things like she had with one of the glasses on the table, hurling it against the wall, shattering it instantly in her frustration.

The team had been talking for five minutes about what to do, and Hope was sick of it. She wanted them to do something. Carli could be laying in the street dying for all they knew. It was getting darker by the minute in a strange country. The only thing they had agreed on so far was to get Pia, seeing as their own coach and assistant coach were drunk off their asses. Now they were simply waiting for the Swede and possibly some of her team to get to the conference room. 

“Hope, you’re scaring us,” Kelley said, even hesitant to approach her mate. She was an alpha, but she was also a lot smaller than the keeper. She had only seen Hope close to this level of anger once before. She wasn’t exactly sure her mate wouldn’t be able to stop herself from doing she would regret. 

“I’m scaring you?” Hope half-yelled. “How do you think Carli is feeling? She’s alone in a foreign country! It’s dark, and she’s an unmated omega! Anything could happen to her!”

“We know Hope,” HAO said, running her hand over her face. “We want to find her just as much as you do, but yelling at us won’t help us find her.”

Hope move towards the midfielder, using her size to her advantage physically towering over the omega. Alyssa moved forward pushing Heather behind her so she was now standing between her teammates. She was the only one besides Ashlyn that could match Hope physically, unfortunately the blonde had yet to come to the conference room, still having yet to untie from Ali. 

“You need to calm down.”

The older keeper looked like she was about to take a swing at Alyssa, who didn’t look like she would back down even if she was laid flat on her ass. Sonnett squeezed Moe’s hand nervously. No one could stop a raging Hope. The older woman could take her backup in a fight. Only if Ashlyn were there would things be a little more even weighted. 

Suddenly, the door swung open. Pia let out a growl. She had been enjoying her own celebration with her partner, but Lloyd had done it again. The Swedish Coach should have known that the midfielder would run away. She had done it once, not that anyone other than she and Hope were aware of that terrible time.

During Carli’s first week of National Camp, she had had a panic attack and run off. Only Pia, who had said she had given her leave to take care of a family matter, as well as Hope, her first ever National Team roommate, knew about incident. They had found the midfielder, but from that moment on, Pia had learned not to trust the unmated omega when it came to staying put. Hope and Carli’s friendship had blossomed under Pia’s insistence that the goalkeeper get to know the newbie. It seemed that it had not been enough this time.

“Everyone sit down,” Pia ordered. She was an omega, but she was as powerful as any alpha. However she had to admit the overwhelming smell of pheromones in the air were even making her head swim. She didn’t know how the younger girls were handling it. Half the alphas’ cocks were erect in their shorts, obviously having been interrupted during coitus to attend the impromptu meeting.

The alpha stood still for a second. HAO, Alyssa, and the rest of the team were smarter and complied immediately. The Chicago Red Stars keeper taking her new mate into her arms, holding her as physically close to her as possible. Emily settled in happy to be back in her alpha’s arms. She really just wanted to return to their room. Carli may be their captain, but it was one hell of a stupid knothead move to run off in a strange country so late at night without telling anyone.

“Hope, now!” The Swede barked. Seger and Schelin had followed their coach down, each finding a seat as the number one keeper in the world reluctantly found one of her own. 

“What’s happening?” Seger asked. “Where’s Lloyd?”

“She’s missing,” Hope growled. “And for some reason, we can’t pull enough brainpower together to come up with a plan to find her.”

“Solo why don’t you fill the rest of us in,” Pia said, barely holding off a growl of her own. “Who was the last one to talk to her?”

“Horan?” Hope asked, but her teammate just shrugged. Hope had a sinking feeling that it might very well have been her, turning the omega away when she needed her most. 

“You didn’t see her, Solo?” Pia asked, surprised as the rest of the team.

The keeper glared at her ex-coach. “Does it even matter?!? She’s been missing for hours,” the alpha said softly. “Time is running out if we want to get her back safely.”

The team watched silently as a few stray tears streaked down the keeper’s face. Kelley could see that Carli missing was breaking her mate. The keeper’s anger was bleeding away leaving only guilt, which made its icy home in her gut. 

The defender stood up, feeling that she needed to take the eyes off her mate. “Ok people, let’s get moving. Our captain is out there in a city with more than 2.6 million people normally, more so with the soccer games. We need search parties. Groups with both alphas and omegas and search the city. She left several hours ago, and we don’t know if she was running or walking. She could be several miles away.” 

Pia, who was still standing, moved to place her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Well said O’Hara.” She turned and stared at the room, briefly glancing at the keeper who was trying to get herself under control. “She could very well be at a bar around here or even at a local park, but we should also check worst case scenarios. I want a group to go to the hospitals around here, you can even take our team’s van. How many of our team is capable of helping?”

Segs tilted her head back and forth thinking. “Five I would say. The others are...indisposed.”

Pia nodded. “Jillian,” the name she called her protegee when she was trying to irritate her. “They are your team. Split them up. We should have five vans between us.”

The American coach stood on wobbly legs, but Becky, who was sitting on her left stood up and put a hand on her shoulder guiding her back into her seat. There was no way Dawn and Jill would be any help. They were lucky Pia wasn’t wasted. She seemed like the only responsible authority among them at the moment. 

The blonde co-captain took charge. “Linds, Moe - wait no, not you two again - Em, HAO, Kling, Crystal, Press, and Tobs go to the local bars, anywhere you think she might be. Go in twos and threes and make sure you never leave each other’s side. And no drinking,” she warned. 

The group nodded their assent, many rolling their eyes. They wouldn’t even dream of drinking when one of their own was missing. They knew Carli could very well be in danger and weren’t taking that lightly. 

“Mal, I want you to go to go with Long, Moe, and Sam in one van and look south of here. Do not separate if you have to get out. Naeher, Whit, Pinoe, and Alex check out the north of here. Stop at any parks you see and check them out. Long, Naeher you two are in charge of your respective groups, and Allie, don’t let Moe out of your sight. We don’t need more than one player lost in this city.”

Moe shot her the bird, but was silent otherwise. It was pretty true. She could go anywhere and get lost. 

“JJ and I will look at the hospitals. The Swedes can take one of the vans and go search the further away clubs and bars. Hope and Kelley can take the last van. You two know her best, look any place we aren’t already looking. When Ash and Ali are ready they can be a part of home base with Pia. Do you all understand your roles?”

The US team nodded, getting to their feet and heading out the door.

“Go bring your girl home,” Pia whispered walking over to Hope and Kelley who were the last two in the room. “Her time’s running out.”

The keeper looked at her grim faced. “I know,” she murmured. “I don’t even want to think of what the best case scenario might entail, let alone the worst.”

“We’ll find her,” Kelley said firmly. “And when we do, she’s coming home with us. No exceptions. This can’t happen again.”


	4. Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli is found.

_ Please, Carli. Wherever you are, please be okay. I need you to be okay. Just hang on a little longer. _

Those words kept repeating over and over in her head. She had already been forced out of the driver's seat when, in her intensive search for their captain, she had almost run over two pedestrians. Now Kelley did as the keeper said, turning wherever Hope’s long fingers pointed, not even commenting on the glare she received when her ‘turns were too slow’ or ‘stopped at lights even though no one was around’.  

Hope’s left hand held her phone out set to speaker but muted on their side. Hope did not want them to hear her say ‘is that her’ over and over again whenever they passed a brunette woman. Pia had already told them they had until midnight to find her. If they didn't, then she’d have to make a report to the police, something that would no doubt get leaked to the press. Something the USWNT couldn't afford, many necks on the line after losing to Sweden, and how they could never validate Equal Pay, Equal Play when one of their players acted so carelessly.

Ashlyn and Ali had eventually come down, the blonde having an argument with Hope when the number one keeper tried to yell at them for taking so long. Only when Pia hung up ending the group phone call did Hope finally agree to stop yelling, only then did the Swede answer her call again.

Not one of the groups had come close to being successful. Their rusty Spanish and everyone wanting to snap a picture with them didn't help at all. They couldn’t just yell out Carli’s name in every bar. Fans might take a video and post it, ending in more questions than they needed. Pushing their way to the counter, each group asked the bartenders if they had seen the woman on their lock screens. Each group receiving the same answer of “no.”

\-------

As Hope and Kelley went down another impossibly small alley, Ash’s voice rang across the phone. “Becky’s found her. She's at the hospital.”

Hope's heart stopped.

\---

**Earlier**

“Have you seen this woman?” Becky asked the third hospital supervisor, not one person wanting to be any help. “Please. It's really important. We need to go to five more hospitals after this so an answer could really speed things along.”

The doctor said something in broken English that neither Becky nor JJ understood, but by the shaking of his head it was obvious that he either hadn't seen Carli or couldn't help. This hospital was the least cooperative yet, which was saying something considering the ring around they had gotten at the others.

They were about to leave when a young nurse approached them. Her English was far better than any of the others they had talked to. “You are Becky Sauerbrunn and Julie Johnston, yes?”

The stars forced a smile onto their faces. “Yes, but we are really busy right now so I’m afraid we don’t have time for a picture.”

“Oh,” the nurse said frowning. “No, I heard you asking about your friend. May I see the picture.”

She had not heard who they had asked about, but as soon as they flashed her the photo, she knew they were talking about Carli Lloyd. There had been a woman not to long ago brought in as a Jane Doe. She had yet to see the woman, but she told them to wait a minute, and she would go check.

The nurse went to the room where they were keeping the woman without an ID. She knew immediately that this was Carli Lloyd despite the large cut over her face, her pale complexion, and hair matted with dirt. She could see how the doctors in the hospital hadn’t recognized the superstar. If you didn’t know who you were looking for, then Carli really didn’t look like anyone other than a girl struggling for survival, her body having gone through quite an ordeal. The nurse hurried back out.

“She is here. Carli Lloyd is here.”

\-----

“Hope, wait!” Becky demanded. The keeper had already made two hospital administrators and three nurses leave in tears. Without Carli’s medical records, which the Swedes were supposed to be bringing over along with Pia to sort out this mess, they couldn’t prove that Hope was indeed Carli’s emergency contact, and she certainly wasn’t ‘family’ meaning that they couldn’t release any information to them.

“Fuck off,” Hope hissed.

Kelley sat in the corner with JJ, comforting the omega, whose body was going crazy from the alpha hormones Hope was releasing. Kelley had tried to calm her mate down to no avail, leaving Becky to deal with the out of control keeper.

“Hope!” Becky half-yelled. “Calm the fuck down! She’s here, and she’s safe, that’s what matters. As soon as Pia gets here with one of our medical staff, we can sort this mess out okay?”

Hope growled at Becky, “They need to hurry up!”

“Calm down! It’s not like you’ll get to see her any faster,” the defender snorted. “She’s being treated now, and she’ll continue being treated whether or not her medical information is here. They just have to proceed more cautiously.”

“Fuck Becks,” Hope sighed. “I just need to see for myself that she’s alive and okay. Not knowing what state she’s in is killing me, and they won’t tell me anything.”

“Hope-” Becky began.

“She’s an unmated omega,” Hope said, cutting Becky off. “You know exactly what could’ve happened to her. It’s killing me not knowing if she’s whole or not.”

Becky wanted to say that everything would be ok, but the truth was, none of them knew if that was true until the infuriatingly tight-lipped doctors told them something. Instead of responding, she hugged the taller alpha, squeezing the woman who just stood still as a board as defender’s arms wrapped around her.

Hope appreciated the gesture, but nothing would calm her, not until she saw Carli with her own eyes.

Kelley looked over at her mate from where she was sitting with JJ, seeing Hope standing rigidly, she sighed. “Hope,” she said softly. “Come sit down. Apologize to JJ, and get your pheromones under control.”

Hope sighed. “Kell,” she began.

“Don’t start with me,” her mate said firmly. “You need to have a level head going in. You can’t go in there with your pheromones raging, you’ll terrify Carli. You’ve scared half of the hospital already. Get yourself together.”

She glared, but sat next to JJ, bringing the omega close to her, she whispered an apology into the silken locks. She hadn’t meant to be so out of control. It was her personality. Only Carli was able to control that side of her. Kelley, more or less, was the one who amped her up to begin with. The two alphas fed off each other, but for Hope, the unmated omega was the one she looked to for a level head. Only Carli’s pheromones had ever been able to calm her down, something that the alpha greatly appreciated and admired in her best friend. She probably would have been kicked off the team half a dozen times if it hadn’t been for the omega.

Now Hope just felt guilty. Carli had always been there for her, and the one time she hadn’t been there for the omega, things went wrong. Hope clutched JJ closer to chest breathing in the scent of an omega, wishing it was Carli’s calming pheromones she was smelling.

A throat cleared.

Hope jumped up seeing the group that had been going to the bars looking for their friends, Pia, and the Swedes standing behind them. Hope immediately started towards the nursing staff, handing them Carli’s medical records, and asking, begging to know anything.

Kelley only shook her head and shrugged when Becky looked over at her for help. Nothing was going to stop the alpha, not now anyway. They could only pray that Carli was all right, not just for her sake but theirs as well.

No one would admit it, but they were all afraid. Afraid of Carli being seriously hurt, and afraid of just what that would do to Hope, whether crushing her or causing her to lose complete control like never before. Either way, it wasn’t going to be pretty.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hospital visits and airplane flights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry it's been awhile. I'm continuing this on my own now so I hope you'll be patient with me. The updates will be slower, but I still really want to finish this. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter. -S
> 
>  
> 
> Warning: This chapter does involve rape kits, and a slight discussion of a sexual assault that did not happen.

“Come on Hope,” Kelley said tiredly. “You need to shower and change. And eat something!”

“I’m not leaving her,” the keeper said stubbornly. “I’m staying here until she wakes up.”

“Hope!”

“What Kell?” Hope said, her voice raised. “I’m not risking her waking up in a strange place with no one here she knows!”

“If I bring you clothes will you at least use the shower here?” Kelley said tiredly. “I’ll sit with her Hope. She means a lot to me too.”

“You’ll come get me if she wakes up?” Hope asked staring at Carli’s form.

“Yes Hope,” Kelley said. “You’ll be maybe ten feet away. I’ll come get you.”

“Thank you,” Hope said softly, placing a soft kiss on Carli’s forehead, before standing and walking stiffly over to Kelley. She placed a soft kiss to her mate’s lips, pulling back and looking her in the eyes. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”

“Take as much time as you need babe,” Kelley said. “We aren’t going anywhere. Not to mention, you stink Solo.”

“Very funny Kell,” Hope laughed, kissing her mate again.

Stepping into the small bathroom in Carli’s private room, Hope turned on the shower, stripping herself of her dirty clothes. Tossing them into a separate bag Kelley had bought, the keeper took a second to look at herself in the mirror. ‘Maybe I really do need the shower,’ she thought wryly, before stepping in and letting the hot water flow over her stiff muscles.

After washing herself, Hope stepped out of the shower and grabbed the new set of clothes Kelley had brought for her. Dressing quickly, she combed out her hair before stepping back into the hospital room, to see Kelley trying to comfort a thrashing Carli.

“What happened?” Hope asked, stepping over to Carli’s other side. 

“I think she’s having a nightmare,” Kelley said helplessly. “I can’t get her to calm down. It started a few minutes after you got in the shower, but I was able to calm her.”

“Why didn’t you get me?”

“Hope, you were in there for a half and hour,” the defender said.

The keeper gaped at her open mouthed, before shaking her head, and climbing into the bed with the omega. Pulling the thrashing woman into her arms, she held her tightly as she whispered calming words into her ear. 

“You’re okay Princess,” Hope soothed. “Breathe for me.”

Carli let out a whimper as she tried to fight off Hope’s hold, both the alpha’s letting off comforting pheromones as her struggle increased. Finally, the midfielder began to calm down with the increase in pheromones, and she lay still in Hope’s arms.

“Do you think she’ll wake up soon?” Kelley asked, reaching over to brush a piece of hair out of the omega’s face. She smoothed out the furrow in Carli’s brow, before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. 

“Hope? Kelley?” a soft voice rasped.

“Car?” 

 

\--------

 

_Earlier ___

“Hope Solo?” a doctor asked walking over to the group of players.

“Yes?” Hope asked, standing up from where she was sitting with Kelley and Julie.

“Can you come with me please? I have some information regarding Ms. Lloyd that needs to be discussed in private.”

Kissing Kelley quickly, Hope turned and followed the doctor down the hall, stopping just outside a door leading to another wing.

“Is she okay?” the keeper said softly. 

“We will find out when she wakes up Ms. Solo,” the doctor said sympathetically. “But right now I have the results of her SAE kit.”

“She-she was raped?” Hope whispered. 

“It doesn’t appear so. There was no sign of forced penetration or tearing, and she is not showing signs of fallout from being forcibly mated. She has some minor external injuries, mostly lacerations, which we have stitched, and head trauma. She’s showing signs of dehydration so we have her on fluids, and are treating her for some swelling of her right knee and ankle. We have MRI’d the affected area and as soon as we get the results back we’ll let you know.”

“Can I see her?” Hope whispered. “For a few minutes at least?”

“Just for a few minutes,” the doctor confirmed. “We have to get her fully situated in her room, and run some more tests, but then you are more than welcome to stay with her after that.”

“Tomorrow morning then?” Hope asked wryly.

“More like a few hours,” the doctor said, giving the keeper a half smile after checking his watch. “Someone will let you know when you can stay.”

“Thank you,” Hope called after the doctor who nodded before turning and walking away.

 

\--------

 

Hope felt like she was walking in slow motion as she followed one of the non-English speaking nurses to Carli’s room. Her heart was racing, thrumming against her rib cage like a hammer. 

She thought the worst moment in her life had been worrying about her best friend lying on the side of the road somewhere, but it was so much worse seeing the omega. She was so much paler than Hope had ever seen her, barely even looking like the superstar that had brought other nations to tears with her scoring power. 

“Thank you,” the keeper managed to choke out, holding herself together just long enough for the nurse to leave her alone before she rushed to the bed, tears already trailing down her cheeks in two thick lines. 

“Carl, I’m so sorry,” Hope sobbed. 

‘I’m sorry’ she repeated over and over again, her face pressing into the scratchy blanket that covered her friends still body. The doctor hadn’t said when she’d wake up. He hadn’t said a lot of things, but thank whatever higher power there was, the omega hadn’t been raped. Hope would rather it have happened to her, anything but to the midfielder who had sought out her comfort that Hope had so thoughtlessly rejected in a moment of haste. 

‘If only I had protected her,’ Hope thought. ‘If only I had been there for the woman... _the woman I love.’ ___

\--------

Carli was silent as she stared out the plane window, curled up into the tiniest ball possible. 

“Car? Do you want anything?” Hope’s voice broke her from her thoughts, and she turned to look at the goalkeeper, staring anxiously at her. “Water, snacks? A sandwich?”

“No thank you,” the midfielder said softly, turning back to the window. Leaning her head a against a pillow, she stared at the dark sky, missing the worried glances Hope and Kelley shared.

“Car,” Kelley said softly, moving so she was kneeling next to the midfielder’s extended bed like seat. “You should eat something, and have some water. You don’t want to make things worse in your...condition.”

“I’m fine Kelley,” Carli whispered, not turning from where she was staring out the window. 

“You need to eat something with your meds Carli,” Kelley said exasperatedly. “It doesn’t matter if you feel like it or not. They won’t sit well with you if you don’t.”

The omega sighed, nodding as she turned to meet the alpha’s eyes. “Okay,” she mumbled. “You’re right.”

Kelley exchanged a look with Hope who traded places with her mate, handing Carli a bottle of water and a veggie wrap. “Do you want a sleeping pill?” the keeper asked. “It works wonders on me. It should do the same for you.”

“I’m good Hope, but thanks.”

“Are you sure Car?” Hope asked worriedly.

“I’m fine,” the midfielder replied sharply. “I don’t need it.”

“Carli…” the keeper said helplessly, sighing when the omega turned back to the window. “If you’re sure then okay.”

Carli didn’t reply, choosing instead to stare at the blackness stretching below them. She opened the bottle of water and took a sip, closing her eyes as she swallowed. Reaching forward, she grabbed the bag with her pills in it, finding the correct dosage and popping them in her mouth. Taking another sip of water, she swallowed them down, ignoring Kelley’s stare as she left the veggie wrap untouched. 

‘I won’t be trapped in a nightmare I can’t wake up from,’ she thought. ‘I can’t, not in public. Not where they can see me.’

Capping the bottle of water, she curled up in her seat, turning away from the two alphas. Biting her lip, she fidgeted trying to get comfortable as she stared out the plane’s window. ‘Screw Jill and Dawn, and their stupid observation rule,’ she thought. ‘This isn’t how I wanted things to go. How am I supposed to stand staying with them?’

Kelley watched as Carli fidgeted in her seat restlessly. “She’s not okay,” she whispered to Hope. 

“I know,” her mate murmured back sadly. 

“Do you think she’ll tell us what’s wrong?” Kelley asked quietly.

“I’m not sure,” Hope whispered. “Maybe eventually, but not right now. She’s trapped in her own mind.”

“You can read her that well?” Kelley asked surprised. 

“Of course,” Hope said, smiling wanly. “She’s my...best friend. Of course I can.”

Kelley nodded, unsurprised at Hope’s logic. “True,” she murmured. “We need to keep an eye on her during the flight.”

“Of course,” Hope nodded.

Turning back to her book Hope laced her fingers with Kelley’s. “She’ll be okay,” the keeper said. “Eventually.”

Kelley nodded, gazing at the curled up midfielder. “I hope so,” she said faintly. “I really hope so.”

\--------

Carli whimpered softly in her sleep, shifting in the plane seat. Kelley looked over worriedly at the omega. “Hope,” she said softly, nudging the keeper as the omega shifted again. 

Hope cursed softly, as she glanced over at Carli. “Should we wake her?” she asked. “Or see if we can calm her down?”

Kelley ran a hand over her face, sighing as she watched the omega. “She’s barely slept, I think we should try and calm her down. Our scents should do it again, don’t you think?”

Hope nodded, and unbuckled her seat belt. “Let’s give it a shot,” she murmured, wincing as Carli thrashed again in her sleep. 

Kelley slid out of her seat and in next to the omega, pulling Carli into her arms gently as Hope kneeled next to them.

“You’re okay Car,” Kelley whispered into the midfielder’s ear, as Hope rubbed circles on her thigh. 

The defender’s grip tightened as Carli whimpered. She stroked the midfielder’s back as she breathed in her scent, releasing comforting pheromones in response to the omega’s quiet distress. “You’re okay Princess,” Kelley murmured. 

Hope watched her mate comfort Carli, wishing there was enough room in the seat for all of them. The keeper watched as Kelley whispered in Carli’s ear, trying to soothe the distressed omega and felt her heart flutter at the affection her mate was showing the midfielder she was secretly in love with. She smiled as she locked eyes with her mate, still rubbing circles on Carli’s thigh. She watched them for a few more minutes before standing. Grabbing a blanket, she draped it over the two. “If you want to switch just tell me okay? We’ve still got awhile.”

Kelley nodded, and Hope leaned down placing a kiss on her lips. “Thank you,” she murmured. 

“She means a lot to me too Hope,” Kelley whispered.

Hope kissed her again, before going back to her seat. “She means more to me than you know,” the keeper murmured. 

Kelley brushed a strand of hair out of Carli’s face, before dropping a light kiss to her head. “You mean so much to us, Carli,” she whispered, her quiet admission going unheard by the omega. “So much, both to me and to Hope. Much more than you know Car, much more than you know.”

The defender reclined the seat, shifting so Carli was more on top of her, the midfielder’s head resting against her chest. The omega let out a soft whimper and started trembling, causing Kelley to look down at her. “You’re okay Car,” she soothed, rubbing circles on her back. “No one is going to hurt you. You’re safe.”

Eventually Carli calmed down, and Kelley let out a sigh of relief, sending a wan smile over to Hope. “She’s calm for now,” she mouthed sending a thumbs up to Hope. Hope nodded, leaning back in her seat, but still keeping a close eye on the two.

Carli woke a short time later, feeling hands running through her hair. “Kelley?” she asked blearily, recognizing the alpha’s scent. “What are you doing?”

“You were trembling and thrashing,” the alpha said quietly. “Hope and I wanted to try calming you before we woke you, since, you hadn’t been sleeping.”

Carli slid over so she was on the seat instead of the alpha’s lap. Running a hand through her mussed hair, she reached down to grab her shoes and slid them on. “Nightmare,” she said shortly, looking down to hide her embarrassment at being seen during a moment of weakness. “Thanks Kell. Next time just wake me up though. That couldn’t have been comfortable.”

“It’s no problem Car, it worked at the hospital well enough,” the defender said looking up at her earnestly. “Where are you going?”

“I need to use the restroom. I’ll be back. You can go sit with Hope. I’m fine.”

The omega turned and limped away quickly feeling her face heating up in embarrassment for revealing a vulnerability to the alpha pair twice now, missing Kelley’s frown as she watched the midfielder. Letting out a sigh, Kelley stood and made her way over to Hope who had been listening to the whole exchange. 

“I don’t understand her sometimes,” Kelley complained. 

“You and me both,” Hope responded. 

“So much for being dear friends,” Kelley teased.

Hope barked a quiet laugh. “Usually she’s easy to read. But lately I haven’t been able to understand her.”

“Maybe it’s the stress of Rio,” Kelley offered. “She was just named co-captain after all.”

“Maybe,” Hope admitted. “But I think there’s something else too. I just can’t put my finger on it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you think! Love it? Hate it? Let me know!


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A slight peek into Carli's mindset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short, but I had so many O'Harli feels after watching today's game and wanted to get it out, so here it is. PS. This is also unedited, so I'm sorry for any mistakes.

Carli sighed as she stood next to Kelley and Hope waiting for an Uber. “You guys really don’t have to do this,” she insisted. “I’m completely capable of taking care of myself until I have to be in Houston.”

Hope fixed her gaze on the protesting omega. “You are coming home with us Car,” she said. “You heard Jill and Dawn, you need supervision.”

Carli rolled her eyes. “I’m fine,” the omega said.

“Carli, you just were released from the hospital after suffering a major concussion,” Kelley reminded her gently. “Not to mention the stress your body suffered, plus your knee and ankle injuries.”

“I’m fine,” Carli insisted stubbornly. “My head isn’t a big deal, they cleared me enough to release me didn’t they?”

“Yeah with strict orders that you remain under someone’s care,” Hope said firmly. “So we are following both the doctor’s and our coaches’ orders Car. You really don’t have a choice.”

The omega’s eyes flashed, but she was interrupted by the Uber pulling up. 

“It’ll be fun Carli,” Kelley said brightly, pulling the omega into a half hug. 

Carli stood frozen as the defender wrapped her arms around her. Her inner omega crooned, wanting to melt into the alpha’s embrace. All too soon it was over, and Carli felt the keen loss, her omega crying out to Kelley’s alpha. Snapping herself out of it, she moved to grab her bags, only to find Hope had already put them in the car. 

“Fun isn’t the word I’d use,” the midfielder muttered quietly, before steeling herself to join the alphas in the backseat. She looked away as Kelley kissed Hope, feeling a pang in her chest and swallowing hard before sliding into the car with them. “Not the word I’d use at all.”

 

\--------

 

Kelley smiled as she led Carli to the guest bedroom. “This is your room,” she said. “The bathroom is through there, and Hope and I are just next door.”

“Thanks,” the omega said softly. 

“It’s no problem Carli, we’re happy to help,” Kelley said placing a hand on the midfielder’s arm.

Carli stared at the defender’s hand on her arm, before meeting the defender’s eyes. She offered a small smile, resisting the urge to lean into the touch. 

“I’ll leave you to unpack then,” Kelley said squeezing Carli’s arm lightly. “We’ll probably order take out in a bit, so just come downstairs whenever you want and we’ll look at our options okay?”

Carli nodded numbly as Kelley turned and left, the midfielder lightly touching the spot on her arm where the alpha’s hand had been moments before. ‘How am I supposed to stand this?’ she thought. ‘When they touch me I want to melt. But sleeping next to them, hearing them _make love _to each other? I don’t know if I can do it.’__

The omega stumbled to the bed, her mind racing. She hugged a pillow to her chest as she curled up. ‘If I keep physical contact with them to a minimum,’ she thought. ‘Maybe I can keep myself under control.’ Her inner omega revolted at the thought of not being able to touch both the alphas, making her head spin even more.

“Carli are you okay?” Hope asked, suddenly appearing next to the omega.

“I’m fine,” Carli choked out, shying away from the alpha.

“Are you sure?” Hope asked doubtfully. “Kelley and I can feel your distress from downstairs, even with your door closed.”

“I’m sure,” the omega gasped, whimpering as Hope gently laid a hand on her forehead. “I’m-I’m just not used to all of the pheromones.”

“Car, you’re burning up,” Hope said moving to sit on the bed behind her. “Just relax. You’ve experienced this at camp before. It isn’t anything different.”

Carli’s inner omega preened as Hope’s hand moved from her forehead to her hair, the keeper gently running her fingers through the dark locks. The midfielder sighed, feeling her omega’s response to the keeper and inwardly cursing. ‘She’s not mine,’ she thought. ‘She’s Kelley’s. She’ll never want me. Not when she can have Kelley O’Hara.’

“Do you need me to hold you?” Hope asked softly. “I know alpha’s touch can help if an omega is in distress. It’s what calmed you down in the hospital and on the plane.”

“I’m okay Hope, but thanks,” Carli replied through gritted teeth, crying out as Hope’s hand left her hair.

“Stop being so stubborn Lloyd,” Hope said wrapping her arms around the midfielder who stiffened at the contact. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

‘Everything you do hurts me,’ Carli thought miserably. ‘Knowing that I can’t have you, either of you, is unbearable. I don’t know if I can handle this.’

Hope returned to stroking Carli’s hair, as the omega cried silently, the slight tremors of her body the only indication she wasn’t okay. “You’ll be okay Car, I swear,” Hope whispered, as the omega began to drift off, her body unable to handle any more stress. “Kelley and I will make sure of it.”

“Is she okay?” Kelley whispered, coming to stand at the foot of the bed. 

Hope shook her head softly, gesturing for Kelley to join them. “She’s responding badly to all the pheromones,” she said as Kelley laid down on the other side of Carli, the omega in the middle. 

Kelley frowned as she gazed at the midfielder, taking in the fresh tear tracks trailing down her cheeks. “She’ll be okay Hope,” the defender said, placing a kiss on her mate’s lips. The defender gently removed the pillow from Carli’s grip, placing it under the midfielder’s head before wrapping her arms tightly around the omega. “We’ll make sure of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think! Love it? Hate it? Let me know!


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli unknowingly reveals a little more, and Hope and Kelley have a very important discussion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so here's the new update. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one, but I wanted to get it out there. I hope you guys enjoy it!

The sun’s rays came in through the window the next morning, causing Carli to snuggle deeper into the warmth of the alphas’ embrace. She let out a soft groan as the arms around her tightened, and pressed her face firmly into the pillow her head was resting on. She inhaled deeply, pressing herself against Kelley, before freezing, her eyes shooting open. 

The midfielder froze, realizing she was being held by the two alphas. Her inner omega crooned happily, as her mind raced. ‘What are they doing? Why are they holding me?’ she thought frantically, as her omega purred contentedly. ‘I can’t do this. I have to get out of here.’ 

“Stay,” Kelley mumbled sleepily, feeling the midfielder shifting in an attempt to get up. “Stay Car, it’s early, go back to sleep.” The alpha tightened her arms around the omega pulling her into her body firmly. 

Hope cracked her eyes open, glaring at the two blearily. “Go back to sleep,” she ordered. “It’s too early for this.”

“I’m hot,” Carli lied weakly, causing Hope to glare at her. 

“Fine,” the taller alpha grumbled. She untangled herself from Carli, and urged the omega to sit up. Slipping her hands under the midfielder’s sweatshirt, she carefully tugged it off revealing the loose tee shirt Carli was wearing. “Sweats too,” Hope grunted, as both her and Kelley easily stripped the omega of her pants.

“Hope! Kelley!” Carli gasped. “What are you doing?”

“We’re making you more comfortable,” the defender replied, sitting up and wrapping her arms around the omega who stiffened at the contact. She gestured to her own shirt and shorts hidden by the covers. “Relax and go back to sleep Carl.”

Hope tugged at the omega until she lay back down in their arms. “It’s barely six, now go back to sleep,” the keeper ordered softly.

Carli reluctantly laid back down, stiffening as she felt Kelley throw her leg over hers, their bare skin rubbing together. Her omega purred contentedly, and Carli closed her eyes, trying to block out the sound. ‘They aren’t mine,’ she reminded herself, even as Hope pulled her closer. ‘They’ll never be.’

\--------

Carli groaned as she felt the body under hers shifting, snuggling into Hope more. “No,” she groaned softly. “Let me sleep.”

“It’s almost eleven Carls,” Hope said running her hand through the omega’s hair. “It’s time to get up.”

The omega just groaned and snuggled into the two alphas. “Let me sleep,” she moaned softly. “My head’s killing me.”

“Carls you need to take your meds and eat something,” Kelley said stroking the omega’s side gently. “You’ll feel better once you do.”

The omega just moaned and flipped over, burying herself into Kelley’s body, not realizing where she was. As soon as she felt the defender’s arms wrap around her, her eyes flew open and she sat up quickly, almost headbutting the alpha wrapped around her.

“Easy Car,” Hope chuckled. 

“Sorry,” the omega mumbled quietly, trying to disentangle herself from the two before realizing she wasn’t wearing her pants anymore. Her omega made her displeasure known loudly as she moved, causing the midfielder’s head to pound even harder. 

“Are you okay Carls?” Kelley asked, stroking her back softly, seeing the omega’s eyes screwed shut.

“My head is killing me,” Carli admitted. “And my omega won’t stop, it’s just making it worse.”

“What do you mean your omega won’t stop?” Hope asked curiously.

“It’s nothing,” the omega muttered. “She’s just being louder than usual when expressing her displeasure.”

“What’s she displeased about Car?” Kelley asked pulling the midfielder into her arms.

Carli just shook her head, her hands moving to cradle her head. “Can you guys grab my medicine bag?” she croaked as her omega made her head pound more. 

Hope quickly went through Carli’s suitcase, finding the bag with little trouble. Grabbing a cup of water, she handed both to the midfielder. 

“Thanks Hope,” Carli murmured, grabbing her bottle of suppressants. Popping open the bottle she shook out one, then two, swallowing them down dry. 

“Don’t forget your headache medicine,” Kelley gently reminded her, reaching around the midfielder and picking up the bottle. 

The omega took the bottle, opening it and shaking out her dosage, before swallowing the pills down dry. “Drink,” Hope said gently, taking the pill bottle and pressing the cup of water into her hands. “You need to stay hydrated, and it’ll help them go down.”

Carli nodded, draining the cup of water and sagging backwards into Kelley’s arms. “I’m so tired,” she groaned.

Kelley eased herself and the midfielder back down onto the bed. “Go back to sleep Car,” she soothed. “It’s okay, we’ll be here when you wake up.”

Carli nodded and snuggled more comfortably into Kelley’s arms, Hope laying down next to them and wrapping her arms around both of them. 

“Do you think she’s okay?” Hope whispered once Carli was asleep.

“I don’t know,” Kelley whispered. “I’m concerned about what’s happening with her omega. My alpha doesn’t make my head hurt like that, unless I’m doing something really stupid, or she’s really upset with me.”

“I know,” Hope murmured quietly. “Maybe that’s what her suppressants are for.”

“Maybe,” Kelley said doubtfully. “But I’ve never heard of an omega taking suppressants to silence her omega. I’ll text Becky, Alex, and Christen later and see if they know anything.”

Hope nodded. “Good idea babe.”

Kelley gazed at the omega wrapped in her arms. “She doesn’t deserve this,” she said softly, moving a stray strand of hair out of the midfielder’s face. “First what happened in Rio with the Games, and then what happened afterwards, and now this? When will it end for her?”

“I don’t know Kell,” Hope said her gaze softening as she stared down at the midfielder. “Hopefully we can help her through this.”

Kelley gazed at Hope as she stared down at Carli. “How long have you been in love with her?” she asked quietly.

“Is it that obvious?” Hope asked softly. 

“To me it is,” Kelley replied just as softly.

“For a long time,” Hope said. “Probably since 2008, but she never returned my feelings, so I tried to move on unsuccessfully for a while, and then I met you. Kelley, what I feel for her has nothing to do with how I feel for you, you know that right? You’re my mate. Carli- she never returned my feelings.”

“That you know of,” Kelley said evenly. 

“That I know of,” Hope admitted. “But it doesn’t change anything Kell. I’m with you. I love you, I’m in love with you. Carli, she doesn’t change any of that.”

“I know,” Kelley said quietly. “But what if it did?”

“What do you mean Kell?” Hope asked.

“What if you aren’t the only one who loves her too?”

“Kell?” Hope said quietly. “Where are you going with this?”

“I didn’t expect to like her as much as I did,” Kelley admitted softly. “But during the World Cup, I slowly began realizing that I liked her more than just a friend. I just didn’t know how to bring it up to you.”

“What are you saying Kell?” Hope asked. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“We both love her. If she loves us back, then why not go for it?” Kelley said gazing at Hope. “Slowly of course, because we have no clue how she feels, but-”

“You want to mate her?” Hope asked slowly. 

“If she wants us,” Kelley said breathlessly. “Then yes.”

“We’ll have to tread carefully,” Hope said quietly. “I have no clue where she stands as far as dating, or even if she has a romantic interest in anyone. The last person I know she was with was Brian, and that didn’t end well.”

“So we’ll go slowly,” Kelley said simply. “I’m okay with that. She deserves the best.”

“She does,” Hope agreed. 

“So slowly then?” Kelley asked. “We get a feel for where she stands and then try and court her?”

Hope nodded, gazing down at the omega between them. “I really hope she says yes.”

“So do I babe,” Kelley admitted. “She completes us, whether she knows it or not.”

“She does,” Hope said softly, leaning down to place a kiss on the omega’s forehead before reaching over to kiss her mate. “But you know that nothing changes how much I love you right?”

“I know Hope,” Kelley said. “I know. I love you too.”

It was quiet for a few moments as the two gazed down at the midfielder cuddled between them. “Do you think she’ll let us love her?” Kelley asked quietly.

“I don’t know Kell,” Hope answered just as quietly. “She’s so stubborn and independent. Not to mention she hates being reminded that there are some things she can’t do because she’s an omega, even if they are for her own safety.”

“She tries to take on the world by herself doesn’t she?” the defender asked pulling the midfielder closer to her as she shifted in her sleep.

“Always,” Hope smiled. “She’s Carli Lloyd, of course she does.”

“This time when she falls, we’ll be there to catch her right?” Kelley asked quietly.

“Kicking and screaming,” Hope confirmed. “You know this won’t be easy right?”

“With how stubborn she is I didn’t think it would be,” Kelley returned.

“As long as you’re prepared,” Hope said softly.

“She’s worth it,” Kelley said determinedly. 

Hope reached over and kissed her mate again. “Yes she is,” she said softly. “You both are.”

Kelley smiled at Hope before kissing her again. “I love you Hope,” she whispered, not knowing that Carli had briefly woken to hear her words. “More than anything in the world.”

Carli screwed her eyes shut not wanting to see them kiss in front of her, knowing her heart couldn’t take it. Her heart plummeted hearing Hope’s words. “I love you too Kell, so much. You are my world,” the keeper said softly.

The midfielder turned over trying to free herself from the both the alphas’ grasp, but found that they were both holding her too tightly. Biting her lip, she buried herself deeper in the covers, pressing her face in the pillow trying to not let Hope and Kelley see the tears trailing down from her face. ‘Why was I stupid enough to think they would want me?’ she thought. ‘Hope’s just helping out her “dear friend” and Kelley probably just wanted to sleep next to her mate, but this bed’s too small so she’s stuck next to me. That’s all. They have each other, they don’t want me and they never will.’

Kelley pulled the omega closer as she felt her tremble slightly. “You’re okay Car,” Hope soothed. “You’re okay.”

Carli only cried harder feeling herself being pulled against the defender’s body. Her omega crooned with pleasure as Hope pressed herself against Carli’s front, wrapping her arms around the midfielder again. 

Hope and Kelley exchanged bewildered glances over the midfielder’s head. “What do we do?” Kelley mouthed frantically as Carli’s body shuddered again.

“I don’t know!” Hope mouthed back. 

The keeper reached over and gently began running her fingers through Carli’s hair, hoping it would help calm the midfielder down. 

Carli sighed softly as she felt hands playing with her hair. She felt a wave of sleepiness come over her again as the hands continued their movement, her body shutting down from the emotional distress, the hands playing with her hair relaxing her. She sighed softly once more before drifting off again, leaving Hope and Kelley to stare at the midfielder in bewilderment. 

“Maybe a nightmare?” Kelley whispered.

“Maybe,” Hope agreed. “Whatever it was, we need to keep a closer eye on her. There’s only so much stress her body can handle before it starts to shut down.”

Kelley nodded. “She’ll be okay Hope. We’ll make sure of it.”

The defender reached up and planted a soft kiss on Hope’s lips before resuming her spot lying behind the midfielder. Kelley placed a soft kiss on Carli’s exposed mating gland before closing her eyes and letting herself drift off as well. 

Hope smiled as she pressed a soft kiss to Carli’s forehead letting her lips linger. “You’ll be okay Car,” the alpha whispered against the omega’s skin. “We’ll make sure of it.” Pulling back, Hope held the midfielder close, propping herself up on one arm, content to watch her mate and their hopefully soon-to-be new mate sleep. “I love you both so much,” she whispered. “So much. You both are my world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is largely unedited, I may go back and edit my spelling and grammar later, we'll see.
> 
> Tell me what you think! Love it? Hate it? Thought? Questions? Comments? Let me know!


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight leaves Hope and Kelley confused, and Carli furious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know guys. I apologize in advance for the drama. I hope you enjoy!

When Carli woke again, both alphas were sleeping soundly, their arms wrapped tightly around her. Slipping quietly out of the alphas’ arms, much to her omega’s displeasure, she silently made her way over to her bags. Grabbing the one she knew had her training clothes in it, and her replacement phone, she made her way to a hall bathroom. Carli peeked back in, making sure Hope and Kelley hadn’t woken, before quietly making her way downstairs, and out the front door.

The midfielder shut the door behind her carefully, before leaning against it, breathing heavily. ‘It’s too much,’ she thought. ‘How am I supposed to do this for the next two weeks?’ Her head pounded as her omega called for Hope and Kelley, not happy with being separated from the alphas.

“Fuck,” she cursed softly. “I can’t do this. I need to clear my head.”

Carli put in her headphones and unlocked her phone, choosing a brutal and long route for her run. She jogged down the front steps and took off, trying to block out the voices in her head still screaming at her.

\--------

Kelley smiled as she felt herself pressing against a warm body. Reaching out she pulled them closer, wrapping her arms around them tighter. “Kell,” she heard. “Where’s Carli?”

“Hmmm?” the smaller alpha groaned. “She’s right here, with us.”

“Kell she’s gone,” Hope said frantically. 

The defender’s eyes opened, meeting Hope’s concerned gaze. “Maybe she’s in the bathroom?” the alpha suggested.

“The door’s open,” Hope said shaking her head as she got out of bed. “I have a feeling she woke up and freaked out.”

Kelley nodded and slipped out of bed too, yelping as her bare feet hit the cold hardwood floor. “What time is it?” she asked tiredly.

“It’s almost three,” Hope replied. The keeper walked to the door, and looked out in the hallway. 

“Hope,” Kelley said pointing. “Her bag. She grabbed stuff from it.”

Hope let out a small growl. “She’s not supposed to be running with her head, or her knee,” the keeper muttered.

Hope stalked downstairs, hoping to find Carli on the couch, relaxing after a run. She saw movement outside, and looked out the window, startled. “Kell,” she called. “She’s here. She’s outside stretching.”

Kelley came downstairs joining Hope at the window. “I’ll go talk to her okay?” the defender said softly, placing a hand on Hope’s arm. 

“Kelley-” Hope started.

“Hope,” Kelley said firmly. “She doesn’t need you to go all alpha on her right now. Save that for later.”

“Fine,” the keeper muttered petulantly. She leaned down to kiss Kelley softly wrapping her arms around the freckled defender’s neck. “I’ll see about getting us something to eat then.”

The omega looked up at her from where she was stretching on the ground. “Hey Kelley,” she said switching positions as the defender walked out onto the porch. 

“You hungry?” the alpha asked.

“Not really, the jet lag must be affecting me more than I thought.”

“You should still eat,” Kelley said looking over the omega critically. “Aren’t you supposed to eat after you workout?”

The midfielder shrugged. “I’m really not hungry, maybe later?”

Kelley sighed. “Okay Car. Hope’s ordering a ton of food, and she’s getting groceries delivered too, so whenever you’re hungry please grab something.”

“Thanks,” the omega said smiling slightly.

Kelley headed back inside as Carli began a yoga sequence, Hope meeting her at the door. “I made some coffee. I figure we could all use it to help with the jet lag,” Hope said. “I ordered from that Asian place we all like, and the groceries are on their way, but we have snacks if you need something now. The groceries should be here in about an hour and half, and the food should be here in thirty.”

“She said she’s not hungry,” Kelley said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Maybe you should try.”

Hope only nodded, grabbing the two iced coffees she’d made, knowing exactly how Carli took hers, and headed outside. “How long have you been up?” she greeted, placing one of the glasses next to the midfielder. 

“For a bit,” the midfielder answered vaguely. “Hope, whatever you want to say, just say it. Don’t bullshit me.”

“Car,” Hope said, before Carli narrowed her eyes at her. 

“I’m not an invalid Hope,” Carli snapped. “Just because I was injured-”

“I never said you were!” Hope said heatedly, her pheromones flooding the area around her with her scent as her frustration mounted. 

“You’re treating me like one!” the midfielder exclaimed, her head spinning from the onrush of the alpha’s scent.

“Car, you just got out of the hospital where you were treated for head trauma!” Hope cried. “I’m sorry if I want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself!”

“Would you be treating me like this if I wasn’t an omega?” Carli spat venomously. 

“What?” Hope exclaimed. “Car, this has nothing to do with you being an omega. This has to do with your health! You went through a traumatic incident just over a week ago!”

“You’re treating me as if I’m made of glass!” Carli snapped. 

“Car, I’m acting concerned, because you don’t seem to care enough to!”

Carli’s eyes flashed and she moved towards the alpha. “I know how to take care of myself thank you.”

“Really?” Hope asked. “Do you not remember what happened last time you went for a run by yourself? But sure, you know how to take care of yourself.”

“Fuck you,” Carli said venomously, her head pounding as Hope released more pheromones. “I never asked you and Kelley to take care of me!”

“We want to!” Hope shouted, unknowingly releasing more pheromones. “Why can’t you understand that! Do you have any clue how frantic we were, _I was _, waiting for any news when you were missing?”__

The omega looked down at the ground, wrapping her arms around herself. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Her inner omega was pushing her to submit, to offer her submission to the powerful alpha in front of her as an apology. Carli wrapped her arms tighter around herself, biting her lower lip as she tried to fight off her instincts.

“Come here Car,” Hope sighed, seeing Carli tense, and pulling the omega into a hug. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, or yelled.”

Carli whimpered as her omega urgings for submission doubled. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I started it, I’m sorry.” She sighed in relief as her omega became quieter, her submission now verbalized. 

“Car, you have nothing to be sorry for,” Hope said gently. “You are so important to us Car, it was torture not knowing anything then. Please, just let Kelley and me take care of you a bit while you’re here okay?”

The midfielder nodded, her omega finally silent as she gave in to the alpha. She let her body sag against Hope’s, too tired and drained to hold herself up any longer. 

“Car, are you okay?” Hope asked worriedly. 

The midfielder shook her head, screwing her eyes shut. “It hurts,” she breathed.

“What hurts Carls?” Hope asked gently, trying to look the omega in the eyes.

“My head,” the omega admitted. “It won’t stop pounding. The pheromones are only making it worse. That’s why I went for the run, I needed to get away.”

“Oh Carls,” Hope breathed, pulling the omega into her gently. “It’s okay. Kelley and I will work on it okay?”

Carli nodded, her eyes still screwed shut as she tried to fight off the raging headache. “Thank you,” she murmured. “It makes my omega react, and I don’t know how to deal with it.”

Hope opened her mouth to ask more questions, but closed it when she saw how tightly the midfielder was closing her eyes. The keeper pulled Carli more firmly into her before reaching down and gently lifting her into her arms. “Easy Car,” she soothed when the omega made a soft noise of protest. “I’ve got you.”

Kelley greeted them at the door, looking at the omega worriedly. “Is she okay?” the defender breathed, following Hope to the couch where she laid Carli down. 

“I’m fine Kell,” Carli croaked. “I just did too much too soon.”

“How long did you run for?” the defender asked kneeling next to the omega.

“Eight miles,” the midfielder murmured sheepishly. 

“Oh Carls,” Hope breathed. “Was it really that bad?”

Carli nodded, burying her face in her hands. “The scent didn’t go away until after mile five,” she muttered. “And then my omega started screaming, so I just ran harder. Then I was back here, and everything was quiet, and I needed it to stay that way.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Kelley asked gently.

Carli just shook her head. “I just need time to get used to everything again, that’s all. The concussion isn’t helping either.”

“Speaking of which,” Hope interrupted. “No more running Car. Not without the doctor’s clearance.”

“Seriously Hope?” Carli questioned, her hands flying off her face, as she shot a weak glare at the keeper, trying to ignore her headache. “I just told you that’s the only thing that helps.”

“It also left you like this,” Hope said gesturing to how she was laid out on the couch, pale and clearly in pain. “We aren’t putting your health at risk. There have to be other ways to help clear your head.”

“Fuck off Hope,” Carli bit out through gritted teeth. “You aren’t my mate, neither of you are, you don’t get to make these decisions for me.”

“No I’m not your mate,” Hope said evenly. ‘No matter how much we want you,’ she thought, looking down at Kelley who looked devastated. Shaking her head minutely, she continued. “But Kelley and I were left in charge of you by Dawn and Jill, and the doctors in Rio released you to us, so right now we are in charge of making sure you don’t hurt yourself worse.”

“Fine,” Carli spat. “I’m going upstairs to shower, or do I need your permission for that?”

The midfielder abruptly stood up from the couch, swaying dangerously. Hope immediately moved to steady her, but Carli pushed past her bracing herself on the wall instead. “I’m fine,” she said flatly, turning her head so they wouldn’t see the tears welling up in her eyes. She pushed off the wall slowly, grabbing the handrail of the stairs, slowly making her way to the top. Kelley and Hope heard a door slam and turned to each other, expressions of shock and disbelief written on their faces.

“Did we just lose her?” Kelley asked softly. 

“She was never ours to begin with,” Hope reminded her gently. 

“Hope?” Kelley asked questioningly.

“I don’t know Kell,” Hope admitted. “I really don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is largely unedited. If I feel like it (if it bugs me enough) I may go back and edit it in the next few days.
> 
> Tell me what you think! Love it? Hate it? Emotions? Questions? Let me know!


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It gets a bit more complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so, right now I'm a little stuck on Two Pink Lines, so I'm working on this one a bit more! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Carli cursed again as she stood under the shower spray. “They don’t own me,” she muttered quietly. “They don’t get to tell me what to do. They- They aren’t my mates.”

“ _They aren’t my mates _,” she choked out, tears falling down her face as she finally admitted the truth out loud. “They don’t want me. Why am I even here?”__

__The midfielder wrapped her arms around herself and slid down the shower wall sobbing bitterly. “They don’t want me,” she repeated through her tears. “Who would even want a mess like me?”_ _

__\---------_ _

__Hope and Kelley sat on the couch together in silence. “Do you think she meant it?” Kelley asked, breaking the quiet that had settled over them since Carli had stormed upstairs._ _

__“I don’t know Kell,” Hope said softly. “I can only hope she didn’t.”_ _

__“What if she tries to leave?” the defender asked._ _

__“Then we stop her until we can get Pinoe to take her, which shouldn’t be hard,” Hope said slowly._ _

__“Or Becky,” Kelley suggested._ _

__“The last thing she needs is to be around an alpha right now,” Hope said quietly._ _

__“Hope, what if it’s us she can’t be around?” Kelley said softly._ _

__“What do you mean?” the keeper asked._ _

__“What if something about our bond is making her omega go haywire,” Kelley reasoned. “She really hasn’t been around that many paired alphas, and our pheromones could be what’s freaking her out.”_ _

__“Maybe,” Hope mused. “I think there’s something else to it though.”_ _

__“Like what?” Kelley asked._ _

__“I don’t know Kell,” Hope said softly. “But something tells me there’s more to it than what we’re seeing.”_ _

__The two were interrupted by a knock on the door, which Hope stood up to answer. “Babe can you grab my wallet?” she called. “The food’s here.”_ _

__Kelley ran a hand over her face and stood up, grabbing Hope’s wallet off the counter, before paying the deliveryman and helping her mate with the copious amount of bags._ _

__Setting the food down on the kitchen counter, Hope began taking out containers as Kelley grabbed plates. “Do you want to go see if Carli wants something?” the keeper asked._ _

__Kelley nodded, stealing a dumpling out of one of the boxes. “I think she’s still in the shower,” she responded. “I’ll go check on her, but we should save a plate for her in case she doesn’t want to come down.”_ _

__Hope nodded as Kelley headed up the stairs. The defender knocked on the closed door of the guest room. Hearing no response she poked her head in looking for the defender. “Carli,” she called. “We have dinner.”_ _

__Still hearing no response, Kelley made her way over to the bathroom, knocking on the closed door. “Car,” the defender called. “Dinner’s here.”_ _

__The alpha pressed her ear to the door, after not getting a response, but hearing something coming from the other side. “Car?” she called again. “I’m coming in okay?”_ _

__Slowly opening the door, Kelley could hear the muffled sobs coming from the omega in the shower. “Car?” the defender said softly. “Are you okay?”_ _

__Not getting a response from the midfielder, Kelley pulled open the shower door, biting back a gasp at seeing the alpha huddled on the floor, her body bright red from where the water was hitting her. Reaching her hand into the shower, she softly cursed when she felt how hot the water was, immediately flipping the shower off before grabbing a towel and stepping inside._ _

__Kneeling down next to the omega, the alpha gently touched her shoulder causing her to jerk in surprise. “Kelley?” the midfielder rasped. “What are you doing?”_ _

__“Getting you out of the shower,” the defender replied gently._ _

__“I’m fine,” the omega muttered, trying to pull away from Kelley’s grasp._ _

__Kelley looked over the midfielder, seeing her puffy eyes and red, heated skin, before ignoring her mutterings all together. “Come on Car,” she said, laying the towel over the midfielder in order to preserve her modesty before gently tugging her to her feet._ _

__Carli stood on wobbly legs, and Kelley reached out to steady her, causing Carli to flinch away from the touch. The defender sighed as Carli wrapped the towel around herself more securely, her eyes fixed firmly on the ground. The omega took a shaky step forward, trying to shrug off Kelley’s hand. Kelley sighed as she raked her eyes over the omega before sweeping the midfielder into her arms bridal style, ignoring Carli’s protests._ _

__The defender stepped out of the shower and wiped her feet on the mat, before exiting the bathroom and depositing the midfielder on her bed._ _

__“Look at me,” Kelley said softly kneeling in front of Carli. “I know you may not like us right now but we just want to help you. Accepting our help doesn’t make you weak Car, it really doesn’t.”_ _

__“It’s different for you,” Carli finally said, playing with the edges of her towel, and refusing to meet Kelley’s eyes. “You and Hope are alphas. You have less to prove already. But everytime I step out onto that pitch, I have to prove that I’m as good as Becky, as good as any other alpha.”_ _

__“Car, no,” Kelley whispered. “Is that what you think?”_ _

__“I hate being an omega,” Carli whispered brokenly. “I hate what it’s taken from me.”_ _

__Kelley watched as the midfielder began to cry silently, before sitting next to her and pulling her into a hug. “You’re okay Car,” she murmured softly, pressing a soft kiss to the omega’s hair._ _

__“You don’t understand,” the midfielder choked out through her tears. “ _You’ll never understand _.”___ _

____“Then help me understand,” Kelley pleaded._ _ _ _

____“You’re an alpha,” Carli murmured. “You’ll never be treated like a plaything, like a toy. That’s all I am. The moment I presented I became a toy some alpha would use, will use, to satisfy themselves.”_ _ _ _

____“Carli, no,” Kelley gasped. “That’s not what mating is about! You mate who you love. Whether that’s an alpha or an omega, or both. It doesn’t matter as long as you love them. They shouldn’t treat you like that.”_ _ _ _

____“Then what was Brian?” the omega challenged, before shaking her head._ _ _ _

____“Car…”_ _ _ _

____“It’s okay Kell,” the midfielder said. “You can’t change the fact that I’m an omega. I’m trying to accept it, so I can find a mate.”_ _ _ _

____“Anyone who treats you like that doesn’t deserve you,” Kelley said firmly. “They don’t know how to treat an omega.”_ _ _ _

____Carli looked at her for a moment, before clutching her towel against her body and standing. “Thanks Kelley,” she murmured. “I’ll be down in a bit okay?”_ _ _ _

____Kelley stared at the omega acting as if their conversation had never happened before standing and leaving the room, her head spinning._ _ _ _

____“Are you okay?” Hope asked, catching her mate as she stumbled down the stairs, her eyes narrowing as Kelley shook her head._ _ _ _

____“I’ll tell you later,” the defender muttered, trying to compose herself. “I think I may know what’s wrong with Carli.”_ _ _ _

____Hope wrapped her arms around Kelley’s waist, looking her mate in the eyes. “Tell me,” she said softly._ _ _ _

____“Not now,” Kelley said, making a vague motion to the stairs. “It’ll take too long. She’s coming down in a bit.”_ _ _ _

____“Tell me,” Hope commanded softly. “Is she okay?”_ _ _ _

____“Yes, no. Fuck, Hope. I don’t know,” Kelley sighed, leaning her head against Hope’s shoulder. “I really don’t know. This whole thing is so screwed up, I don’t even know where to start.”_ _ _ _

____“You’ll tell me tonight though right?” Hope said, pressing a kiss to Kelley hair._ _ _ _

____Kelley nodded. “After she’s gone to sleep, we’ll talk okay? But keep in mind this won’t be pretty.”_ _ _ _

____Hope clenched her jaw and nodded. “She’s worth it,” she reminded the smaller alpha._ _ _ _

____“She is,” Kelley confirmed. “But this… this may be too much for her.”_ _ _ _

____“Kell, you’re scaring me,” Hope said softly. “Since when is anything too much for Carli Lloyd?”_ _ _ _

____“This is,” Kelley said sadly. “She’s slowly breaking because of it.”_ _ _ _

____“Is that why-?” Hope began._ _ _ _

____“We’ll talk about it later,” Kelley said firmly, pressing a kiss to her lips. “Right now we need to make sure she’s comfortable here, with us.”_ _ _ _

____“Okay,” Hope said nodding. “We can do that. But Kell-”_ _ _ _

____“Good,” Kelley smiled turning away from Hope._ _ _ _

____‘Carli, what have you gotten yourself into?’ the keeper thought as she watched Kelley try to distract herself by reheating dinner. ‘Since when can’t you handle everything? Is it really that bad?’ Looking at Kelley composing herself, she cursed internally. ‘Fuck,’ she thought. ‘It is that bad.’_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty much unedited. I may go back and edit it in a few days.
> 
> Let me know what you think! Love it! Hate it! Let me know!


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli talks a little more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the next installment of Hurting, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> WARNING: This chapter has vague references to past sexual assault.

“She hates being an omega,” Hope repeated later on that night, as Kelley nodded. “That makes sense. But you think she’s rejecting her inner omega because of it?”

Kelley nodded. “She’s convinced that she’s a toy for some alpha to use,” she sighed. “I’m pretty sure she’s rejecting her omega, which is causing the headaches.”

“So when she goes running to silence her omega,” Hope said slowly. 

“Exactly,” Kelley said. 

“Fuck,” Hope cursed. 

Kelley sighed as she lay back against Hope. “How are we supposed to court her now?” she asked.

“Did she mention anything else Kell?” Hope asked. 

“She mentioned Brian,” Kelley said. “Why?”

“I had a feeling,” Hope sighed. “I know something happened between them, obviously because they never mated, but now I think it may have been something bigger than I realized.”

“You think so?” Kelley asked. 

“I’m sure,” Hope said. “She won’t talk about him, ever. She always changes the subject when he’s brought up, and she hasn’t courted anyone since.”

“What do you think happened?” Kelley asked.

“I’m not sure,” Hope sighed. “But whatever it was, we may be seeing the result.”

“Hope,” Kelley whispered. “What are you saying?”

“When she was attacked in Rio,” Hope said softly. “Her attacked shredded her shirt and sports bra, but he didn’t rape her. He played with her Kell, like a toy.”

“Fuck,” Kelley breathed. “If Brian, or someone screwed with her mindset, her attacker just proved it.”

“The attacker just made her thoughts a reality,” Hope finished sadly, voicing what neither wanted to say. 

“What can we do Hope?” Kelley asked. “How do we fix this, fix her?”

“I don’t know Kell,” Hope said softly. “I don’t know.”

“This sucks,” the defender mumbled. “We’re so close but so far.”

“I know babe,” Hope said softly. “Let’s sleep on it, okay? Maybe we’ll think of something.”

\---------

The next morning the two stumbled down to wonderful smells and noises coming from the kitchen. 

“Good morning,” Carli greeted softly from where she was seated at the kitchen table, a plate full of food in front of her.

“Morning Car,” Hope said, moving to pour herself and Kelley coffee. “What’s this?”

“Breakfast,” the midfielder said wincing. “An apology for yesterday, sort of. I was hoping you guys would wake up before I left so I could say goodbye.”

“Where are you going?” Kelley mumbled sleepily, her face buried in her arms. 

“New Jersey,” Carli said quietly. 

“What- No! You’re staying here,” Hope said trying to meet the midfielder’s gaze.

“You shouldn’t have to deal with me,” Carli said. “Plus, I-I’ll be going into heat in a few days anyway.”

“Oh,” Hope said dumbly, her mind wandering to places it shouldn’t. “Car, you aren’t a problem,” she rasped, her mouth going dry thinking about Carli in the middle of her heat, wet and wanting. “We aren’t dealing with you, we’re looking after you. You aren’t going anywhere.”

“Are you sure?” Carli asked hesitantly. “It’s really not a problem.”

“I’m sure,” Hope said firmly. “We’re sure. Besides, if anything the fight was my fault. I shouldn’t have come on so strong, because you’re right, I’m not your mate. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, that we don’t care about you.”

“We want you to stay Car,” Kelley said, looking at the omega intently. “Please.”

“Are you sure?” Carli asked again. “My heat-”

“Is not a problem,” Kelley interrupted. “It’s really not Car. It’s nature, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“If you’re sure,” the midfielder said hesitantly.

“Yes!” Kelley half-shouted exasperatedly. “We want you!”

Carli blushed, as she heard the alpha’s words. “We want you to stay with us, I mean,” Kelley said. “We want you Car, please stay.”

“Okay,” the midfielder said softly. “I’ll stay.”

“Good,” Kelley said smiling as she picked up her fork. “Thanks for breakfast, by the way. It’s great!”

“No problem,” Carli said, her cheeks turning pinker. “It’s the least I could do, after the fight, and for letting me stay with you.”

“You don’t need to anything for us Car,” Hope said laying her hand on the midfielder’s arm. “We’re supposed to take of you, remember?”

“Still,” Carli said shrugging, glancing down at Hope’s hand as the alpha made no move to remove her hand.

“What do you guys want to do today?” Kelley interrupted. “Besides train, or workout.”

Carli deflated. “I’m not that injured,” she protested feebly. “I should try to get in a few touches on the ball at least.”

“Car, you have a concussion, plus whatever is happening up there to give you these headaches,” Hope said gesturing to the midfielder’s head. “Not to mention you tweaked your knee when you fell. The last thing you need to be doing is working out right now.”

“We can cuddle watch movies!” Kelley exclaimed through a mouthful of food. “All of us!”

Hope shot the defender a look, which she pointedly ignored. “You have to be feeling the beginnings of your heat right Car?” the defender said. “Cuddling with us will help, promise. Christen would cuddle with me all the time in college before she went into hers. She said it helped.”

“I don’t know,” Carli mumbled. “I’ve never tried anything like that before.”

“If you don’t want to you don’t have to,” Hope interjected. “But we are having a lazy day today okay?”

Carli nodded, playing with her fork, feeling Hope and Kelley’s eyes on her as she picked at her food. “I’ll start cleaning the dishes,” she said standing abruptly and picking up her plate.

“We can do that,” Hope protested immediately. 

“You guys aren’t done,” Carli pointed out. “I am.”

The midfielder quickly fled into the kitchen, eager to escape their gaze. ‘They don’t want me,’ she reminded herself. ‘Today is not going to change that. They’re only trying to help me through my heat.’ She turned and leaned against the kitchen counter, trying to steady herself as a wave of nausea overwhelmed her. 

‘My heat,’ she thought her mind racing, as she gripped the counter tightly. ‘ _Brian _...what if it happens again?’__

Hope’s head snapped towards the kitchen as she heard a dull thud. “Car?” she called. “Are you okay?”

Not hearing a response, she immediately got up and headed to the kitchen, finding Carli slumped against the cabinets, holding her head in her hands. The keeper immediately kneeled in front of her, placing her hands on the midfielder’s knees. “Hey,” Hope whispered. “You’re okay. You’re okay Car, you’re okay.”

Kelley walked into the kitchen with her plate, putting it next to the sink and dropping down to sit next to the midfielder. She pressed their legs together and gently began stroking Carli’s thigh as she leaned her head back against the cabinets. 

Hope moved on the other side of Carli, gently pressing their shoulders and hips together as she too leaned her head back against the cabinets. 

“Please, please don’t,” Carli whimpered softly looking at something that wasn't there, causing Hope and Kelley to exchange looks of alarm. “Please, _please _.”__

“You’re okay Car,” Hope soothed, pressing a soft kiss to the midfielder’s hair. “You’re okay.”

The midfielder took a shaky breath, and curled tighter into herself as she came back to reality. “I don’t know if I can do this,” she sobbed quietly. 

“What can’t you do Car,” Kelley asked gently pressing herself more firmly against the midfielder and wrapping her arm around her shoulders.

“My heat,” Carli whispered. “After everything in Rio, I- I can’t.”

“Hey, hey,” Hope whispered. “We’re here for you every step of the way.”

“You don’t understand,” Carli sobbed. “I can’t do it, I can’t see him.”

“See who Carli?” Kelley asked gently. “The man who attacked you is still in Rio, he doesn’t know who you are or where you are. He can’t get to you.”

“No,” the midfielder whispered. “Brian. I don’t think I can go through another heat seeing him, and the attack only made it worse.”

“What do you mean?” Kelley pressed. “Do you need him during your heats?”

“Kelley,” Hope said sharply, pulling the midfielder against her as she began to tremble more violently.

“No, please don’t,” Carli said frantically. “Please, please. Anything but that. I’d rather- I’d rather have you….”

“Easy Car,” Hope soothed, combing her fingers through the midfielder’s hair. “We would never do anything for your heats unless you asked us to, okay? Unless it involves us making sure you are safe and comfortable, we aren’t going to do anything without your permission.”

“What would you rather have us do Car?” Kelley questioned, slowly moving closer to the midfielder. 

Carli shook her head, mumbling something incoherent. Hope and Kelley exchanged glances over her head, as the midfielder rested her head on Hope’s shoulder.

“Do you want to move to the couch Car,” Hope suggested a few minutes later. “It might be more comfortable.”

The midfielder weakly nodded, prompting Kelley to stand and gently pull Carli to her feet, Hope standing immediately to steady her. The three slowly made their way over to the couch, Hope laying down first with Carli laying in between her legs and resting her head on her chest. Kelley immediately climbed over the two of them to tuck herself between the back of the couch and their bodies, wrapping her arm around Carli and resting her head on her mate’s shoulder.

“He would always make advances on me when I was in heat.” Carli’s voice broke the silence they had been in for the past twenty minutes. “He knew I couldn’t fight him off,” she said, her voice trembling. “That it would be nearly impossible for me to fight him off, even though I didn’t want to my first time to be when I was in heat.”

“Oh Car,” Kelley said softly, her heart breaking for the midfielder. 

“The first time he really tried, I fought through it,” the midfielder murmured. “And he left. We stopped courting after that, and I went on really high levels of suppressants, because I didn’t know what else to do. I was only a kid, I was barely in my freshman year at Rutgers.”

“But you courted him again later,” Hope said gently, resting her chin on top of the omega’s head.

“I thought he had changed,” Carli said quietly. “But he didn’t.”

“What happened?” Kelley asked sadly.

Carli shook her head, biting her lip as she wrapped her arms around herself. “I found out that I was just a toy,” she whispered. “That I was only good for entertainment.”

“Car,” Hope murmured gently. “You’re so much more than that.”

“Am I really?” the midfielder asked. “In Rio, all he wanted to do was play with me, to see how desperate I’d get. He wanted me to offer myself, to _beg _.”__

“Carli,” Kelley breathed.

“No Kelley,” Carli said hysterically. “Why can’t you see it? Everyone else does? Why can’t you accept that I’m going to be someone’s form of entertainment for the rest of their life?”

“Because you’re our friend,” Hope said firmly, wrapping her arms around the hysterical omega. “We won’t let that happen to you.”

“We swear Carli, we won’t.” Kelley rested her hand on the omega’s, leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

“I wish I could believe you,” the omega whispered sadly. “I really want to, but- nothing ever stopped Brian from taking what he wanted. What’s going to stop another alpha? When they can treat me however they want, there’s going to be nothing holding them back.”

“We will little one,” Hope murmured, the nickname unintentionally slipping past her lips. “We will. No one’s going to hurt you again.”

“We aren’t going to let anyone touch you again,” Kelley said earnestly. “We swear.”

“I want to believe you,” Carli said softly. “But-”

“In time you will Car,” Kelley said gently, brushing a strand of hair out of the omega’s face. “In time you will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty unedited, so if something seems disjointed, it's probably not you lol
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think!


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli starts to go into heat. Hope and Kelley finally start to learn some more of the truth about her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy this one. It's a bit more angsty and sad, but it moves things along.
> 
> WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MENTIONS OF NON-CON/RAPE. If this may trigger you, please don't read this chapter.

Hope sighed and hung her head as Kelley took the phone from her. “Six months? Terminated contract? What the hell Jill?” Kelley demanded. “You and Gulati talked to her after the game, where is this coming from?”

The keeper buried her face in her hands as she listened to Kelley and Jill go back and forth. Even though she could only hear Kelley’s half of the conversation, she knew there was really nothing she could do. “Babe it's fine,” she muttered. “Just let it go. There’s more important things we have to take care of anyway.”

Kelley shook her head before listening to Hope, hanging up the phone after ending the conversation with Jill. 

“Hope this is your career,” Kelley pleaded. “You can’t throw it away.”

“I’m not,” Hope said roughly. “Seventeen years and this is what I get? I’m not backing down, but we also have to think about Carli.”

“What about Carli?” Kelley said exasperatedly. “What does she have to do with any of this?”

“We have her to think about too,” Hope reminded gently. “We need to keep a level head going into this.”

“A level head?” Kelley exclaimed. “Seriously?”

“There is nothing we can do to revoke my suspension, or the terminated contract,” Hope said levelly, reaching down to grip her mate’s hand. “But I now have six months with you, with both of you.”

“Really? That’s where you’re going with this?” Kelley snorted. 

“Did you really think there wouldn’t be repercussions Kell?” Hope asked quietly. “You had to have known.”

“I didn’t think it would be anything like this!” the defender said heatedly.

Hope sighed and shook her head, before looking at the defender seriously. “Kell-” she began before getting cut off by her mate. 

“Don’t ‘Kell’ me!” the defender exclaimed heatedly, focusing intently on Hope. She began emitting more pheromones as her frustration mounted at the keeper in front of her. “Don’t act like this isn’t a big deal!”

“Of course it’s a big deal!” Hope exclaimed, her frustration rising as the emotions she had tried so hard to keep in check bubbled to the surface. “Seventeen years and this is what I get? Of course I’m pissed!”

“Hope-” Kelley began before turning around as she heard the front door open and shut. “Car?”

“Carl?” the defender tried again as the two alphas walked over to the front hallway to find the midfielder leaning up against the door, trying to catch her breath.

“Are you okay?” Hope asked, moving towards the midfielder but stopping dead in her tracks as she smelled the scent emanating from the omega. “You went for a run like this?” the keeper growled. “Are you crazy? You could’ve been….it could’ve been Rio all over again!”

Carli whimpered as she smelled the alpha’s pheromones. “I know, I know,” she gasped. “I just needed to get out for a bit. It wasn’t this bad when I left.”

“Still,” Kelley said moving to guide the midfielder to the couch. “You should be more careful.”

“You shouldn’t be running anyway,” Hope interrupted. “Let alone this close to your heat. Anything could’ve happened to you.”

“I know Hope,” the omega said lowly. “But I’m fine. Leave it alone.”

Hope growled and took a step forward, but Kelley’s arm flew into her chest holding her back. “Let it go babe,” the defender muttered, eying the omega closely. “She’s fine.”

The keeper stared at Kelley incredulously, her mate meeting her with a level gaze. “Fine,” the alpha muttered, turning and stalking from the room.

“Are you okay?” the defender asked, moving to sit next to Carli. “Do you need anything?”

“I’m fine,” Carli replied, holding back a wince as a sharp pain shot through her core. “I’ll be in full blown heat in a few hours though.”

“Is there anything we can do to ummm….help with that?” Kelley asked cautiously. 

Carli flushed but shook her head. “Are you sure?” Kelley pressed. “We have toys, unused of course.”

“Really, it’s okay,” Carli squeaked. 

“Aren’t they supposed to help though?” the alpha asked. “And we have plenty. I’ll show you, and you can pick.”

“I’m fine Kelley, I swear,” Carli said blushing. 

“Are you sure?” Kelley asked again. 

The midfielder nodded emphatically. “Yes! I’m positive.”

“I guess nothing would feel better than an alpha,” Kelley mused thoughtfully. 

Carli froze as Kelley shifted next to her. “I guess,” she mumbled. 

“Don’t give me that,” the alpha teased. “You forget I lived with Christen at Stanford, not to mention all the other omegas on our team!”

“I wouldn’t know,” Carli mumbled. 

“You’ve never talked with them?” Kelley asked curiously. “Or?”

“I’ve never been with anyone,” the midfielder said softly. “Except for Brian, and well….”

“That wasn’t your choice,” Kelley finished horrified. “Oh fuck, Carls. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean...I didn’t know.”

“No one did. No one does,” the omega said, wrapping her arms around herself. “They weren’t supposed to, and they aren’t going to. I don’t need or want their pity.”

“It’s not pity Car,” Kelley said gently. 

“I don’t want to be treated differently,” Carli said defensively. “You guys have gone forever not knowing, and it’s been fine. Why can’t it stay that way?”

“Because,” Kelley began hesitantly. “It’s different now, knowing this….”

“Exactly,” the omega said harshly. “You can’t look at me without seeing what he did to me. You think I’m broken.”

“Carli no,” Hope said gently, coming into the room and pressing a glass of water into the midfielder’s hands. “We want to be there for you. We are your friends, don’t shut us out.”

“You don’t let me in to all of your life,” Carli challenged. “Besides I’ve been handling this on my own since it happened, and I’ve been doing just fine.”

“You shouldn’t have to handle this on your own though,” Kelley said, turning so she was facing the omega.

“But I am,” the midfielder said flatly. “So let me.”

“It’s just us Carls,” Hope said softly. “Why won’t you let us in?”

Carli just shook her head, staring resolutely into her glass of water. “I’m doing just fine on my own,” she said firmly.

“You are,” Kelley whispered. “But what if something happens and you need help?”

“I’ve managed on my own for this long,” the midfielder said stubbornly. “I’m sure I can manage whatever might happen.”

“Even your heat?” Hope challenged. “I know about the suppressants Carli, Dawn called me last night. What you’re doing isn’t healthy.”

“I’m fine,” the omega said hotly. “You don’t need to interfere in my business!”

“You’re living with us until you’re cleared Car!” Hope exclaimed. “Dawn only told me in case something happened during or after your heat so I’d know what to do!”

“Still,” Carli muttered. “You don’t need to judge me.”

“We aren’t judging you,” Kelley said gently. “We’d never do that. We just want to help you.”

“How?” Carli said sharply. “You want to help me during my heats? You want to fuck me just like Brian did? Bend me over every surface of my home and rape me? Do you want to tell me how much of a ‘good girl’ I’m being and how badly I want it, just like he did, even though he knew I was powerless against him? Is that what you want?”

“Carli, look at me.” Hope commanded. “Neither of us are Brian, we will never do what he did. You are not something to be used to satisfy ourselves, to give us pleasure.”

“We just want to make sure you’re okay,” Kelley said softly. “We want to be here for you Carls. We want you to talk to us, to open up to us. We want….we want so many things for you Carls. But we really want to help you heal.”

“I’m fine,” the omega said, clenching the glass tightly. “I don’t need to _heal _.”__

__“Carli-” Kelley began._ _

__“If I had never said anything, you would have never known,” the omega burst out. “So you don’t get to pretend like you know what’s best for me. You weren’t there, it didn’t happen to you. So you don’t get to choose for me.”_ _

“No,” Hope said lowly. “I wasn’t. If I was, Brian would be dead. _No one touches what’s ours _.”__

____“But I’m not yours,” Carli whispered, her heart aching as she heard Hope’s words._ _ _ _

____“No you aren’t little one,” Hope said moving to sit on the other side of Kelley. “You need to heal first.”_ _ _ _

____“I’m healed and I’m whole,” Carli murmured. “Why won’t you believe me?”_ _ _ _

____Hope’s face softened as she heard the pleading note in Carli’s voice. “Because you won’t accept our help, Car. I know you’re used to doing it on your own, but please, let us help you.”_ _ _ _

____“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” the midfielder asked desperately. “After Brian, I tried so hard to move on, to find another alpha, but I kept seeing him every time I got close to someone. It doesn’t matter who they are, even if they are just friends or even teammates, I still see him.”_ _ _ _

____“Carls,” Kelley whispered pulling the omega to her. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Calm down Car, it’s okay.”_ _ _ _

____“Don’t you understand?” Carli said frantically. “I have to do it on my own! The moment I let someone in….things happen.”_ _ _ _

____“Carli, what happened last time?” the older alpha asked._ _ _ _

“I- I was with someone, a guy,” Carli whispered. “I guess we were courting or something, he never really asked….but he wanted me to sleep with him during his rut. He said it was kind of my ‘duty’ as his omega. I refused and he hit me. He apologized, but I left after he insisted I _take care _of him if I wouldn’t put out.”__

______“What else aren’t you telling us?” Kelley pressed gently._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Nothing,” Carli sighed. “He didn’t rape me, I swear.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We believe you,” Hope said softly. “But there’s something else you aren’t telling us Car.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I just need time okay?” the omega pleaded. “It’s a lot to go through, to have it brought up again.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Okay,” Kelley relented. “As long as you are sure you’re okay.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’ll tell you,” Carli said softly. “Just not today.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We’ll hold you to that,” Hope said seriously, locking eyes with the omega. “But for now, let’s get you some food so you can sleep. You should be going into heat in a few hours, and I doubt you’ll be getting much rest in the coming days.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The omega sighed and leaned into Kelley, who wrapped her arms around her. “I just want to take a suppressant and not deal with it,” Carli muttered._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Dawn told me that you had to have this one,” Hope said apologetically. “She told me you were taking too many suppressants as it was.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Is that part of the Brian thing?” Kelley asked softly._ _ _ _ _ _

______Carli closed her eyes, but nodded. “Yeah,” she whispered. “It’s part of it. I’d have too many heats if I didn’t take them.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Because you’ve never really been knotted properly?” Kelley asked._ _ _ _ _ _

______“He knotted me,” Carli murmured. “Over and over again.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s not what I meant Car,” the smaller alpha said wincing. “You’ve never been knotted by an alpha that you wanted to sleep with have you?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The omega shook her head. “I can’t,” she whispered. “After Brian and what happened with the other guy, I just can’t. Even in my heat all I see is him. I feel so disgusting.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You aren’t disgusting,” Hope said softly, moving to sit on the other side of Carli. “What he did doesn’t make you disgusting.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You don’t understand,” Carli whispered. “My heat….all I see is him, but it hurts so bad, it burns, and I’m- I’m so wet….”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh Car,” Kelley said softly. “That’s not your fault. It’s your physiology.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I hate being an omega,” Carli whispered. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Little one,” Hope sighed gently. “I’m so sorry, but you have to have this one.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I know,” Carli said softly. “I don’t have a choice. Last time I skipped one, it forced me into a bunch of mini heats until my next full blown heat. That was even worse.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Is there anything we can do?” Kelley asked. “Talk to you during? Hold you?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Carli shook her head. “I’ve never done anything like that before,” she admitted. “It might make it worse.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Are you sure?” Kelley questioned. “It wouldn’t be a problem for us. We wouldn’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with, we’d just hold you when you started to fall asleep. Maybe talk to you if you needed it, just to reassure you that you are safe.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s all you’d be doing?” Carli asked biting down on her bottom lip. “Nothing else?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We won’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with Car,” the defender reassured her quickly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“No little one,” Hope soothed. “We won’t.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Thank you,” Carli said softly. “No one- no one’s ever done anything like this for me before.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You’re ours Car,” Hope said, pulling the midfielder into her and placing a soft kiss to her hair. “We’d do anything for you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Kelley nodded in agreement, pressing her lips to Carli’s cheek. “Now go shower,” she ordered gently. “Hope and I will make something okay?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Carli nodded before heading up the stairs, leaving the two alphas to stare at each other. “What did we just get ourselves into?” Kelley asked. “Being around her in heat? Fuck.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Everytime I picture her now,” Hope said roughly. “All I can see are that monster’s hands on her, holding her down, making her beg.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hope, stop,” the defender said. “We’re going to change that. She’s going to be ours. This is the first step.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“How can you not see it?” Hope asked. “It’s all I can see now.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Because I don’t want to,” Kelley admitted. “I know that if I try, I’ll fall apart or try and claim her right there, just to get his marks off of her.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s going to be hard resisting her,” Hope admitted. “When she came in from her run, all I wanted to do was to take her against the wall. She smells so good.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I know,” Kelley said softly. “But we can’t scare her.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I wouldn’t,” Hope said sharply, looking at Kelley. “I don’t care how hard it is, I know I can hold myself back. I don’t ever want her to associate anything we do with Brian.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hope,” Kelley sighed. “That’s not what I meant.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I know, but still,” Hope muttered. “I want to claim her, to make her mine, ours. I know you do too.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I can’t wait to erase Brian’s marks off her body permanently,” the defender said softly. “And replace them with ours.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I know Kell,” Hope said pulling the alpha into a kiss. “Me too. Hopefully we’ll make her ours sooner rather than later.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Do you think she’ll let us?” Kelley asked wrapping her arms around Hope._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I hope so babe,” Hope said placing a kiss to the defender’s forehead. “I really hope so.”_ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! This was really sad and angsty, I know! I hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> Love it? Hate it? Comments? Questions? Let me know!


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli goes into heat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you guys go! I know it's been awhile, but I'm finishing up with last semester's work and getting ready to start a new semester, so things might be slower. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Carli let out a keening cry, her back arching as her hand worked herself into a frenzy underneath the sheets tossed haphazardly over her body. 

Hope swallowed hard and looked away from the still clothed omega, as she cried out again before collapsing back against the bed. The alpha looked over the flushed and panting omega, observing hardened nipples poking through the thin fabric of her tee shirt, before she tore her eyes away. 

“Fuck,” she cursed quietly, staring down at the floor, the memory of Carli’s arching back and keening cry playing over and over again in her mind. “This wasn’t a good idea.”

A soft whimper made her look up, seeing Carli with tears running down her face. “What’s wrong Car?” Hope asked softly, approaching the omega cautiously.

Carli shook her head, reaching down and pulling up the blanket, burying herself further under the covers. 

“Car,” Hope whispered. “Talk to me.”

The keeper moved so she was kneeling next to the midfielder. She ran a hand through Carli’s damp hair, smiling as the omega leaned into her touch. “Can I hold you?” she asked softly.

Carli nodded, clutching the covers closer to her chest. “Please,” she croaked. 

“Come here little one,” Hope said sliding into the bed behind the midfielder, letting Carli come to her when she was ready. 

The omega willingly moved so she was next to Hope, her warm body pressing up against the keeper’s. “You’re burning up Car,” Hope said gently. “We need to take some of your clothes off so you don’t overheat.”

Carli shook her head, burying her face in Hope’s shoulder. “Just hold me,” she mumbled. “No clothes. ‘M fine.”

“Little one,” Hope said warningly. “Just your sweats okay? Nothing else. We don’t need you to overheat and get sick.”

“Fine,” Carli sighed wriggling out of her sweatpants and kicking them to the bottom of the bed. She rolled over pressing her body against Hope’s before drifting off to sleep, exhausted. 

“How is she doing?” Kelley asked softly leaning against the doorframe, having just entered the room a few minutes after Carli fell asleep. 

“I think she’s okay,” Hope replied looking down at the omega in her arms. “But I’m not sure. She was crying and asked me to hold her.”

Kelley’s expression softened as she crossed the room and climbed into bed with the two, pressing herself against the midfielder’s back. “She’s really hot,” she said worriedly. “Is this normal?”

“I don’t know,” Hope admitted. “I’ll call Dawn if her temperature doesn’t go down. I’m worried about her overheating.”

Kelley nodded, sliding her hand under the omega’s shirt and resting it on her taut stomach. “She’s not doing the greatest is she?” the alpha questioned. “Sexually I mean.”

Hope shook her head, sighing deeply. “I can see why her heats are so long and painful,” the keeper murmured. “She barely touches herself. She needs something more even then.”

“Should we do something?” Kelley asked. “With her permission of course.”

“Like what?” Hope said softly. “Anything we’d be doing would be staking a claim on her. She hasn’t chosen us yet.”

“I’m not talking about knotting her,” the defender said. “We can talk to her, encourage her.”

Hope shook her head. “Not for this one,” she said softly. “She hasn’t agreed to it, and we haven’t talked about it with her outside of her heat.”

“I know,” Kelley said softly. “I just hate seeing her like this, in so much pain.”

“So do I, but right now there’s nothing we can do besides help her get through it.”

The defender nodded, pressing a soft kiss to the omega’s covered shoulder. “She looks good in our clothes.”

“She does,” Hope smiled, running her fingers over the hem of the oversized University of Washington shirt Carli was clothed in. 

Carli moaned and rolled over, her eyes cracking open. “I hate this,” she mumbled.

“Do you always get this little sleep?” Kelley asked, tracing circles on the omega's stomach.

The midfielder nodded, burrowing her face into a pillow. “It’s usually worse than this,” she said, her voice muffled by the pillow. “I usually don’t get this luxury.”

Hope and Kelley stared at her sadly. “You need more sleep than this Car,” Hope said softly. “Fifteen or twenty minutes won’t cut it.”

“Is- Is there anything we can do to help?” Kelley asked slowly. Carli shook her head, groaning as pain shot through her core again.

“No,” she gasped. She writhed between the two, causing Kelley to let out a muffled curse as she felt herself growing hard as the omega’s body pressed against hers.

“I- I need…” the omega muttered, her cheeks turning red. 

“Do you want us to leave?” Hope asked meeting Carli’s gaze.

The midfielder bit her lip, but shook her head. “Please,” she gasped. “Stay.”

Kelley wrapped her arms around the midfielder, as she trembled. “It hurts,” the omega gasped. “So much.”

The defender bit her lip. “Touch yourself,” she whispered hoarsely in the midfielder’s ear. “It’ll help you with the pain.”

Carli shook her head. “No,” she gasped. “No. Just hold me. I- I won’t let him win.”

Kelley sighed, pulling the omega closer to her body. “This isn’t good for you Car,” she murmured. 

“I won’t let him win,” Carli rasped determinedly. “I- I can’t.”

“It’s okay little one,” Hope soothed. She pressed herself closer to Carli, throwing the omega’s leg over hers. “Look at me,” she murmured. “You’re going to be fine, okay?”

Carli nodded as another tremor shook her body. “It hurts,” she whimpered.

“I know it does little one,” Hope whispered. “Just look at me and focus.”

The keeper brushed a sweaty lock of hair off of Carli’s forehead, before pressing a kiss to her brow. “Can you sleep at all?” Hope asked quietly.

“It hurts too much,” Carli whispered. 

Kelley pressed a soft kiss to the back of Carli’s neck as she flattened her palm on the omega’s stomach, feeling the muscles clench. “You’re okay Carls,” she whispered. “We’re here.”

The defender groaned as Carli’s backside rubbed against her hardened member as the omega shifted around trying to get comfortable. She was so aroused, but she couldn’t do anything about her arousal until Carli fell asleep. 

Hope looked up, sensing Kelley’s discomfort through their bond, and smirked, knowing exactly what her problem was. 

“Easy,” she whispered to the fidgeting omega, pulling her closer to her body and pressing a kiss to her sweaty forehead. “You’re okay.”

Carli whimpered and closed her eyes as the worst of the pain finally left her body. “Tired,” she murmured. 

“Sleep little one,” Hope commanded softly. “We’ll be here.”

The omega nodded slightly, tucking her head into Hope’s neck before drifting off again. 

Kelley locked eyes with Hope, who smirked knowingly. “Do you need a minute?” she asked the defender.

Kelley nodded, slipping out of the bed quietly. Hope tucked Carli more firmly into her, and watched as Kelley disappeared into the bathroom, her hand disappearing down her shorts.

The defender leaned against the bathroom wall breathing heavily as she stroked her aching member. “Fuck,” she cursed softly. She was so close, it wouldn’t take much longer for her to come with the way Carli had been grinding herself into her, no matter how unintentional it was.

A few more strokes had her coming into her hand with a quiet cry, her seed spilling everywhere. She quickly made her way over to the sink to clean up, before shaking her head and jumping in the shower to rinse off, wrapping a towel around her body and stepping back into the bedroom once she was done.

“Feel better?” Hope rasped, her eyes twinkling.

“Much,” Kelley sighed contentedly grabbing an oversized Sky Blue shirt and a pair of shorts from a drawer. She quickly dressed, before climbing back under the covers, cuddling Carli against her body.

“Is she still asleep?” the defender asked quietly. 

Hope nodded, moving a lock of hair out of the omega’s face. 

“She’s so hot and sweaty,” Kelley said, looking at the keeper with concern. “Should we do something?”

“I don’t know,” Hope admitted. “I’ve never been in this situation before.”

“When she wakes up, maybe we can get her into the shower,” the defender said softly. “Or into a bath.”

Hope nodded, tracing patterns on the skin of Carli’s hip. “A bath would probably be better,” the keeper said. “We can use ours, it’s bigger, and there’s enough room for the three of us.”

Kelley raised her eyebrow. “Will that freak her out?”

“Maybe,” the keeper admitted. “But I’m concerned about something happening to her. What if she gets a flashback or….”

“I know,” Kelley said softly. “When she wakes up we’ll ask her what she’d prefer.”

Hope nodded. 

“Ask me what?” Carli asked tiredly.

“Which do you prefer?” the defender asked softly. “A bath or a shower?”’

“Do you even feel like you can stand on your own?” Hope interjected. “You’re burning up Car.”

The omega made a face as she snuggled into the covers. “I’m good,” she yawned. “I’m nice and warm.”

“Can’t you feel how hot you are?” Kelley asked.

“Used to it,” Carli mumbled pressing her face into the pillow. “Always this hot during my heat.”

“C’mon,” Hope said, tugging at the midfielder. “You need to shower and change. We don’t need you overheating any more than what you are now.”

“No, ‘m fine,” Carli groaned. “Don’ want to. ‘M always heatsick.”

“Carls,” Kelley said softly. “It’ll make it better.”

“Fine,” the omega groaned, letting Hope tug her out of bed. The alpha picked her up and carried her into the bathroom, setting her on the counter. 

“Bath or shower?” Hope asked. 

“I don’t care,” the midfielder said, wincing as pain shot through her. “Maybe shower.”

“Are you hurting?” Kelley asked softly.

“I can bear it,” Carli said through gritted teeth, pulling herself off the counter and stripping off her clothes unceremoniously. 

She stepped under the spray, groaning as the water soothed her tight muscles. Reaching down she grabbed the soap, quickly lathering her body before rinsing off. She grabbed the shampoo and conditioner too, washing her hair hurriedly before turning off the shower and stepping out. 

“That was fast,” Kelley said, looking up as she handed the omega a clean towel. “I figured you’d take longer.”

Carli shook her head as she wrapped the towel around her body. “No need,” she said shaking her head. “Showering doesn’t help much.”

“Bed?” the defender offered. 

The omega nodded following Kelley back into the bedroom where Hope had just finished changing the sheets. 

“What do you want to wear?” Kelley asked, opening up drawers as Carli grabbed a pair of panties from her suitcase and slid them on under her towel.

“Just a t-shirt,” the omega mumbled. 

“Yours or ours?”

“Yours,” Carli replied blushing. “If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Hope said handing an oversized Reign shirt to the omega who slipped it on, her towel dropping to the floor. 

The omega climbed into the bed, immediately curling up under the covers. She curled herself into a ball, clutching her legs as another wave of pain shot through her core.

“What can we do?” Kelley asked softly.

“Nothing,” Carli said through gritted teeth. 

“Can we hold you at least?” Hope asked gently. Carli nodded, letting out a soft cry at the pain. 

The two alphas slid on either side of the omega, wrapping their arms around her as she trembled. “You’re okay,” Hope whispered. “You’re okay little one.”

\--------

Carli moaned softly, shifting in Hope and Kelley’s arms as she tried to get comfortable. The two alphas were sleeping soundly next to her. She slid out of their arms and off the bed, going into the bathroom. Splashing water on her face, she looked at herself in the mirror, taking in the dark circles and prominent cheekbones. 

She shook her head, snapping herself out of her daze, grabbing a hair tie and pulling her hair into a messy bun. Quietly tiptoeing back into the room, she grabbed her running clothes and shoes, darting back into the bathroom to change.

She quickly headed down the stairs and out the front door, grabbing her phone and a set of earbuds from the kitchen counter. This had always been her way to cope with her heat, that and suppressants. However, with Hope watching her like a hawk, she couldn’t use her other coping method.

The omega felt the deep ache in her bones as she stepped outside into the Seattle night, forcing one foot in front of the other as she began to run. 

“Focus Lloyd,” she muttered. “Focus.”

Her head pounded and her core pulsed uncomfortably. She was wet, she could feel the slickness from her core coating her inner thighs as the worst of her heat hit. 

“Just keep running,” she told herself as she struggled to put one foot in front of the other. “This isn’t different from any of your other heats.”

The midfielder kept running until she was back at Hope’s doorstep, before collapsing on the ground panting. A light turned on and the door opened. Kelley appeared looking frantic. 

“Fuck Carli,” she breathed. “What are you doing?”

“Going for a run,” the midfielder replied, looking up at the alpha.

Kelley shook her head, before bending down to help the omega up. “Let’s get you inside okay?”

Carli nodded, inhaling the scent of the defender, her inner omega purring contentedly. She gasped as she felt herself become more wet, looking down and blushing at the moisture on her thighs. 

Kelley internally groaned as she felt herself harden in response to the omega’s scent. She followed the omega’s line of sight, her breath catching as she saw the slickness coating Carli’s upper thighs, her cock twitching in her shorts in response to the midfielder.

“Do you want to shower?” 

Carli groaned as the defender helped her through the door, her legs trembling with exhaustion. “Yes,” she mumbled. 

“Can I carry you?” Kelley asked, ready to pick up the omega.

Carli nodded, pressing her face into Kelley’s neck as she was lifted into the defender’s arms. 

“Do you always go running?” the alpha asked softly as she carried Carli up the stairs.

“It helps,” Carli croaked. 

Kelley nodded, saying nothing as she set the omega down in the bathroom. She pressed a soft kiss to the older woman’s forehead before moving to turn on the shower. 

“Will you be okay?” the defender asked. “Or would you rather I stayed?”

“I’ll be fine,” Carli said shaking her head.

Kelley nodded and left the room as Carli slowly began to strip herself of her sweaty clothes. 

She stepped under the spray, quickly washing her body and hair before stepping out. 

“I need more,” she mumbled. 

She slowly made her way back into the bedroom, collapsing on the unmade bed, her hand snaking down between her legs. 

Carli moaned as she slid a finger into herself, her eyes fluttering shut. Her hips bucked as her other hand trailed over her breast, her fingers pinching and squeezing her nipple.

A sharp intake of breath made her look up, her hands never ceasing their movements. Hope and Kelley stood in the doorway, their hands clenched tightly by their sides as they observed the omega. 

“Fuck me,” Carli cried out softly. “Please fuck me.”

“You don’t mean that,” Hope said, her hand gripping the doorframe tightly as she gazed at the omega on the bed, taking her her clouded eyes and desperate gaze.

“I do,” the midfielder said desperately. “Please, I need it.”

Kelley crossed the room climbing on the bed so she was hovering over the midfielder. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Carli pleaded. “Please.”

She leaned down pressing her lips to Carli’s as she gripped the midfielder’s hips, grinding her arousal into her. 

Hope groaned as she watched her mate with the omega before giving in and climbing on the bed as well. “You won’t regret this in the morning?” she asked Carli, her eyes searching the midfielder’s face.

“I need this. I need you. Please,” the omega begged.

Hope sighed and leaned in, placing a soft kiss on the omega’s mating gland. “Only if you’re sure.”

Carli nodded, letting out a soft cry as Kelley began kissing down her body. “I need this.”

“Then you’ll have us,” Hope said softly, pulling Carli into a gentle kiss. “For as long as you need us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> This is unedited, so if there are errors, I apologize. I may go back and fix them in a few days.
> 
> Let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Questions? Frustrations? Tell me!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit happens the morning after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Osolonewsday and I are writing this together again! We hope you enjoy!

“Hope,” Kelley said, shaking the keeper awake. “She’s gone. Carli’s gone.”

“Gone?” the keeper asked blearily. “Gone where?”

“I don’t know.”

Hope was instantly alert, rolling out of bed and running down the stairs. “Her stuff is gone!” 

“Her suitcase is too,” Kelley said appearing at the top of the stairs. “And so’s the rest of her stuff.”

“I’m calling her,” Hope decided, hurrying up the stairs and pushing past Kelley to grab her phone. She quickly dialed Carli’s number, praying the midfielder would answer. Carli’s phone went straight to voicemail, and Hope let out a frustrated string of curse words.

“I’m guessing she didn’t answer,” Kelley said softly.

Hope shook her head, gripping the device tightly. “I think she went to Houston or New Jersey.”

“I think so too,” Kelley agreed. “I’ll call Moe and see if she’s there.”

“She probably won’t be in for a few hours,” the keeper reasoned. “But it doesn't hurt.”

“I don’t understand,” Kelley said, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking up at Hope. “Why did she leave?”

“I have no clue Kel,” Hope murmured, sitting next to her mate and wrapping her arms around her. “I wish I did.”

“It had to have been the sex,” Kelley said angrily. “That’s why she freaked out and ran. She wasn’t ready.”

“I know,” Hope said miserably. “I shouldn’t have given in, I should have stopped it before it got too far. Now she’s paying the price.”

“It’s not just your fault,” Kelley whispered. “I wasn’t thinking either. I saw her on the bed like that, and I lost control. I wanted her so badly...I couldn’t think straight. All I knew was I wanted to mate her, to claim her, to be inside her.”

Hope swallowed hard. “And now look what it’s gotten us,” she whispered. “Nothing. All the trust we’d built with her is gone.”

“I know,” the defender said softly. “I’m hoping when I see her at camp, I can explain. Maybe we can explain.”

“I hope so,” Hope said shaking her head. “I can’t go for the rest of my life with my best friend hating me. Even if she never mates us, I at least want to be able to be there for her.”

“Please tell me you’re not giving up,” Kelley said in surprise.

“Of course not,” Hope responded. “But now, the ball is in Carli’s court, and everything we do is for her, her rules, her game. If she even wants to see us again.”

Kelley nodded. “I just want her,” she murmured. “I’ll do anything to have her.”

“I know,” the keeper said nodding. “So will I. We just have to make sure that everything is on her terms now, not on ours.”

Kelley sighed. “Fuck. Why does this have to be so hard?”

“Love isn’t easy babe,” Hope said, pressing a kiss to her mate’s lips. “Especially not with the one’s who are worth it.”

\--------

“Carli?” Morgan asked, surprised. “Is everything okay?”

The Uber had taken the older woman to Moe’s apartment in Houston. She had texted the girl she needed a place to stay because she was back earlier to train. Moe had been surprised but readily agreed. 

Now having Carli standing before her, the younger woman could tell something was wrong. Carli was pale. She looked like she had gone a couple rounds with the flu and lost. 

Carli nodded. “I’m fine,” she croaked. 

“Are you sure?”

Carli nodded again. “Where can I put my stuff?”

“I’ll show you the guest room,” Moe said hurriedly, reaching to grab one of Carli’s bags. 

The other omega showed Carli her room. She offered to get her something to eat, hoping that would help with her teammates color, but the older woman just shook her head.

She was happy to be alone. A room to herself that smelt like fabric softener and for some reason Lydia Williams. Moe was constantly stealing the Australian keeper’s stuff. It was no surprise that the blanket wasn’t at least hers. Of all of Carli’s teammates, Moe was the most likely to have accidentally taken someone stuff. She didn’t do it on purpose. She just always lost her own stuff and forgot to give back what she borrowed. Carli could only pray Moe didn’t have anything that was Hope or Kelley’s. 

Her mind flooded with images of the previous night. Her heat had made her needy. She had been one of the things she hated most, a helpless little omega was slave to her desires. She had never wanted to be controlled by her heat. She hadn’t been able to stop herself that time, and it had turned into something she was sure to regret her whole life. She had begged her best friends to have sex with her, screamed to be breeded by her mated best friends- her very happily mated best friends. 

She sat down heavily on the edge of the bed burying her head in her hands. ‘How did I fuck things up so quickly?’ she thought. ‘I ruined their relationship.’

“Car?” Moe asked coming into the room. “I’m ordering dinner. What do you want?”

Carli shook her head. “I’m not hungry,” she said softly.

The younger midfielder sat next to her placing her arm around her shoulders. “I’ll order Chinese and we can watch movies.”

Deja vu hit Carli like a freight train. She remembered hearing Kelley saying the same thing. “No….no,” she muttered. “I’m not hungry.”

“You love Chinese,” Moe reminded her. “Chinese and Indian.”

The older woman just shook her head. “I think I’m going to go to bed.”

“Car,” Moe said gently. “You need food, and human contact. You just got out of heat.”

Carli looked at Moe sharply. “I can smell it on you,” the younger middy said shrugging. “You’re in the post stages of heat.”

“I’m fine,” Carli said.

Morgan looked at the older omega. “No you’re not.”

“Leave it alone, Morgan,” the older woman said a little too sharply. 

Moe withdrew her arm, hurt by the tone. She looked at Carli, but the other woman just looked back with narrowed, tired eyes. There was no apology coming. 

The Georgia Peach sighed, standing up. As she came to the door, she stopped one hand on the frame. She didn't look back as she spoke. “Listen, whatever happened between Hope and Kelley and you, whatever made you come here so suddenly, don't take it out on me.”

With those words she left, though she could hear Carli yell after her down the hallway, “You don't know what the hell you're talking about. Nothing happened.”

Moe smiled bitterly at those words. She whispered, “Yeah, then why is my phone blowing up with worried texts from them.” But Carli didn't hear her soft words, too far away to even know the younger woman had spoken. 

Moe slipped her phone out of the pocket of her pants, sending a text to Hope and Kelley. She had waited hoping to get something from Carli at least glean some information about what was going on before responding to the seemingly frantic alphas. 

**She’s here. She seems distant and looks sick. I don’t know what happened, she won’t tell me anything. I’ll let you know how she’s doing.**

The midfielder sighed as she headed into the kitchen grabbing a takeout menu and ordering from a deli nearby. Hopefully Carli would at least eat the soup she’d ordered for her. 

She sat on the couch playing with her phone as she waited for the food. About twenty minutes later it came, and she took the soup to Carli. Morgan found her in the same position on the bed, but fast asleep.

Shaking her head, she set the take out bowl down, easing the omega under the covers and turning out the light. 

“I hope being here helps Car,” she whispered, taking a last look at the midfielder before shutting the door behind her.

\--------

Day Four in Houston

 

“Fuck...no...stop,” Moe panted. “I...can't...going to...die.”

She was wheezing. Carli had asked her to go running with her every morning. Moe had thought it was weird the first day, but said yes anyway. Today, she had quit halfway through Hermann park and told Carli when she finished her loop, they'd run back together. Lloyd did four more loops before coming back. 

The younger woman hadn't minded. A cute guy with a puppy had been there to keep her company. At least that day he had. It was oo bad she hadn't brought her cell phone. 

When they returned home, Moe claiming she could eat a cow and Carli claiming not to be hungry and that she'd eat a smoothie in an hour as part of her post-workout. Of course, the older woman was going to exercise more. She immediately went to the pool where she was going to swim laps after doing her core workout. 

Moe rolled her eyes at that but chose to say nothing. Carli was already complaining about not getting a workout because of the plane trip. She was afraid that Carli might just throw a bitch fit if Moe tried to stop her from working out. She had already rolled her eyes when she had to slow her pace so the younger omega could keep up on the run. Goodness forbid, she impede her post run workout as well. 

Instead Moe laid on the couch despite her sweatiness and picked up her phone. 

**7:12am - Kelley: How are things?**   
**7:15am - Kelley: Did she eat breakfast?**   
**7:20am - Hope: Don't let her run alone. I will hunt you down, Morgan.**   
**7:42am - Kelley: Why haven't you answered? Is everything ok?**

Moe scrolled through the other 27 unread texts from the two, huffing at the sheer incompetence Kelley claimed she had and the less than idle threats Hope sent her way. 

The last message read. 

**10:11am - Kelley: You better be in some random alphas bed or on the side of the road, those are the only two excuses I can think of for you not answering. Either way you have an hour before I ask McLeod’s cop friend down there to go check on you both.**

Moe shook her head going to the phone app. There were 21 missed calls, most from Kelley. She dialed the number, though not before glancing over the couch to look out back, making sure that Carli was still outside, far enough away not to hear her. 

“Why haven’t you answered us?” Kelley exclaimed as she answered Moe’s call. 

“I was working out with Carli, geez,” Moe said. “I’m not going to let her run alone after Rio.”

“You’d better not,” Hope growled. 

“Hi Hope,” Moe sighed. “I’m guessing I’m on speaker?”

“Yep,” Kelley replied. “Has she eaten?”

“Not yet,” the midfielder answered, looking outside to check on Carli. “She said she would make a smoothie once she finished working out.”

“Once she finished? What’s she been doing?”

“We went for a run in the park and now she’s swimming,” Moe said. “I’m keeping an eye on her.”

“She can’t be doing that!” Hope exclaimed. “She’s going to jeopardize her health if she tries to do too much!”

“Try telling her that,” Moe said flatly. “She flipped out on me when I tried to tell her to call it quits the other day.”

“Has she at least been sleeping?” Kelley asked.

“I don’t know,” the Dash midfielder sighed. “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

“She won’t answer our calls,” Kelley said.

“You promised to keep us in the loop too,” Hope pointed out.

“I don’t know all her habits!” Moe exclaimed. “I certainly don’t know about her sleeping. I don’t sleep with her!”

“Maybe you should,” Kelley suggested.

Moe rolled her eyes. “She left you two to get space, not to be smothered by someone else.”

“Has she talked to you about it?” Hope questioned, her voice changing to a tone the midfielder recognize.

“No, and she’s not going to,” Moe said, sighing.

“You’ll keep an eye on her though?” Kelley questioned.

“What do you think I’m doing?” Moe asked sarcastically. “Yes, I’ll keep an eye on her and let you know. But please lay off the messages. If she finds out she’ll leave and then you’ll have no clue where she is.”

“Fine,” Kelley and Hope muttered.

“Thanks Moe,” Hope said softly. “It means a lot.”

“She’s my friend too,” Moe reminded them. “I care about her wellbeing.”

“We know,” Kelley said. “Thank you again. I don’t know what we’d do if we didn’t have a clue what happened to her.”

Moe sighed. “I’ll let you know what happens okay? But I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”

The midfielder hung up the phone, seeing Carli heading back to the house. 

The older woman had a towel wrapped around her. Moe could tell by the way she was walking that she was trying to hold back a shiver. The house was rather cold after Moe cranked up the AC trying to cool down post run. 

“Hey, why don't you go shower and I'll make your smoothie or better yet, how about some nice warm soup! I know you didn't get to try it the other day but we've got-”

Carli cut her off. “I'm good. I'm going to grab something on my way to the training field. Are you coming today?”

The older woman stopped on the stairs for a response. 

Moe wanted to say, ‘You've got to be fucking kidding me.’ But she refrained. 

“I can go but I want to eat first. Want to go to that deli Lydia has been dying to take us to?”

Carli but her lip, trying to think of a good excuse. She didn't really think her stomach could handle the large portion she knew that particular deli served. And if she took most of her meal to go it would just end up sitting in a hot car while they kicked the ball around for who knew how long. 

“Shouldn't we wait for Lydia?”

“Pshhhh no, that woman owes me a pair of my favorite shorts back. There is no way I'm waiting on that shorts thief.”

Carli held back from mentioning that the shorts had originally been Lydia’s anyway before they found their way into the world that was Morgan’s accidentally stolen/burrowed pile of all sorts of goodies she had cluttering her room. It was a mess and gave Carli anxiety just thinking about. That mess sounded like a roaches paradise. 

“We shouldn't eat anything heavy before practice.”

Morgan groaned. “Oh my god, you're going to run drills aren't you and worse! You're going to make me run them with you. I thought we'd just kick the ball around.”

“You can always lay on the sidelines and tan. I was only being polite inviting you.”

Morgan cocked an eyebrow. This was something different about her captain. She would have simply turned away and left the younger woman at home before. Now though she always came up with something else Moe could do wherever she was going. She'd throw it out there before saying the other omega didn't have to come. 

Moe was beginning to wonder if the omega didn't want to be out in public alone or if she just wanted company despite giving numerous evidence to the opposite. 

Anything Moe would think of would be wrong though. The truth was Carli may have left Hope and Kelley, but for some weird reason, she respected their request of her to not go out alone to run or train. It was something small, but she kept doing it, inviting Morgan with her everywhere despite her constant want to be alone. No, she would continue to keep the chatty younger woman's presence on runs if not for herself then as some tiny thing she could do for Hope and Kelley. They had done so much for her, too much really, but therein lie the problem wasn't it? They did too much for her, more than Carli could ever hope to pay back. 

“I’ll go,” Moe groaned. “But you need to eat something.”

Carli shrugged. “I’ll eat after.”

“You’re going to make yourself pass out,” the younger midfielder insisted.

“I’ll be fine,” Carli said rolling her eyes. “This is a normal training schedule for me.”

“Sure,” Morgan said shrugging. “But you’re coming off your heat. You need to replenish your body until it gets back to normal.”

Carli fidgeted uncomfortably on the stairs as the younger woman fixed her with an insistent gaze. “Fine,” she sighed.

“But nothing too heavy. I don’t want to puke it up during drills or sprints.”

“We’ll stop at the deli on the way back,” Moe compromised. “I’ve got some of those chia bars you like and some trail mix. Will that work for you?”

Carli nodded before heading upstairs. “Thanks Moe,” she called over her shoulder.

“No problem,” the midfielder muttered going to grab the food and putting it out on the counter.

Carli came back down about thirty minutes later, showered and dressed. She tossed a couple of the bars in her bag, sitting at the counter and playing with her phone.

“You ready?” Moe greeted, walking in the room. 

“Yep.”

“Did you eat something?” Moe asked.

“Yep,” Carli lied. She stood and tossed her bag over her shoulder, the bars falling onto the ground. 

Moe looked at her pointedly. “You’re lying. I know how many I put on the counter.”

Carli looked down, biting her lip. “Fine,” she muttered. “I didn’t eat. But I’m not hungry. Can we just go?”

Moe got up. Carli went to follow but when she came to the door behind Moe, the younger woman had simply locked the door and turned around. 

“What are you doing?” 

Moe shook her head. “You’re not leaving this house until you eat something. I know what Dawn said about your health.”

“You can’t stop me from leaving!” Lloyd pointed out, starting to push Morgan out of her way.

“You’re right I can’t stop you.” The younger woman’s feet were firmly planted, she refused to let the older omega around her. “But I can tell Dawn and have you suspended from the team.”

Carli stopped. “You’re blackmailing me?”

Moe shrugged. Carli huffed, “I won’t forget this.” She moved back to the kitchen. Her stomach gave a lurch at the thought of food. Somewhere along the line, her relationship with the stuff had gotten messed. Now imagine eating anything, when she wasn’t desperately hungry, made her feel like she was going throw up.

“How much do I have to eat?”

“Three bars,” Morgan demanded, sitting at the counter. She was intent to watch the older woman eat every last bite. She didn’t trust her now to eat alone. There was no telling what she would do with the bars to avoid eating them. “But if you’d prefer something else, I am sure we can come up with something.”

“No, this is fine.” 

Morgan sat at the counter watching Carli stare at the bars in front of her. The older woman had made no motion to open or even pick up one of them. 

“I can’t,” Carli said her voice cracking. Moe looked up from her phone. They’d been sitting at the counter for over twenty minutes waiting for Carli to eat something, but the omega had yet to do anything.

The Georgia Peach cocked her head. “What can’t you do?”

“I can’t eat this,” Carli mumbled. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Moe asked confusedly. “It’s just food.”

“I know,” Carli said miserably. “It’s making me sick just looking at it. Eating it….”

“Carli,” Morgan sighed. “Just a bite, please.”

“If I take a bite can we go train?” the older woman asked hopefully. 

“No, you need something more substantial than that if you want to keep training.”

“Moe, you don’t understand,” Carli pleaded. “It makes me sick. Every time I even look at it….I just want to throw up.”

Morgan sighed before walking around the counter and tugging Carli to the living room couch. “Sleep for a bit okay?” she sighed. “Then maybe you can eat something and we’ll go train.”

“Moe…” Carli mumbled. “It won’t help. I’ve been this way since….for awhile now.”

The younger woman sighed and covered Carli with a blanked. “Just sleep,” she whispered. “We’ll deal with the food thing later okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let us know what you think!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope and Kelley find out about Carli.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the latest installment! School and finals have been hectic, but we haven't forgotten about this one! We hope you enjoy!

“Did you know about her eating disorder?” Moe hissed into the phone. She was standing outside, peeking through the glass backdoor. She watched for any movement in the living room. Her fellow omega was sleeping last time she had left her, though it had taken a good two hours for her to finally fall asleep. In that time, Morgan had gotten her to have a couple sips of calming tea as well as a small handful of almonds.

“What are you-?” Kelley asked, shocked that Moe was calling them without prompting and that she had immediately greeted them with that.

“Don’t mess with me O’Hara. Get your mate on the line and answer the damn question.”

Moe was beyond pissed. If the alphas had even the slightest clue about Carli’s food problem, then they should have told her. Carli had been with her for four days. There was no telling what kind of damage the older woman could have done to her body training as hard as she had with such little nutrients in her system. 

Although Carli had always been somewhat a mentor to Morgan, she now felt responsible for her friend. It was her turn to be the adult and look after Carli’s wellbeing. She never expected to be in this situation, but she would be damned if she let her captain down now.

“What’s wrong Moe?” Hope demanded.

“Did you know about her fricking eating disorder!” Moe exclaimed. 

“No,” Hope said quietly. “We didn’t have a clue.”

“Great,” the omega muttered. “More incompetent alphas.”

Kelley growled at the midfielder’s comment. “Watch yourself.”

“No! You need to watch yourself! How long was she staying with you?” Moe asked furiously. “She could’ve caused serious damage to herself, especially with her heat!”

“We didn’t know!” Hope said frustratedly. “She seemed to be eating when she was here.”

Morgan sighed. “Yeah well she may have seemed to be okay, but she wasn’t. She admitted to me she has issues with food. She was probably throwing up whatever she ate, or trying to burn it off as soon as she could.”

Kelley swallowed hard. “What does that mean?”

“It means that…. I don’t know what it means for her,” Moe admitted. “But normally omegas who have eating issues have issues conceiving, and are weaker because they aren’t getting enough nutrients. It can cause major issues for her down the line with pregnancy, especially if she has a really low body fat percentage.”

“Does she?” Kelley whispered.

“I don’t know,” Moe said. “But I’d guess she would by the way she seems to always be cold.”

“She was keeping clothes on during her heat,” Hope said suddenly. “Was that a sign we missed?”

“It’s not a good thing, that’s for sure,” the midfielder muttered. “But probably. She was probably reacting to the change in temperature badly, and didn’t have enough body fat to moderate her internal core temperature.”

“Fuck.” Morgan heard Hope curse. 

“Hope, babe, where are you going?” Kelley asked, her voice sounding distant from the phone. 

Morgan felt for the couple. She really did. They seemed to really want to help their friend. Moe had always heard the rumors, but they were supposed to be _just_ rumors. The way Hope looked at Carli, the way Carli only seemed to talk with Hope when she was in ‘Nardley’ mode. Then there was Kelley, but the Squirrel was friendly with everyone. Was there something else going on?

The line was silent for a moment when Kelley’s voice came back on. “We are going to have to call you back, Moe.”

Morgan nodded her head looking back through the glass doors. “Wait, just answer me one thing?”

“Fine,” Kelley said, sounding exasperated. “Just make it quick.”

“There is something more going on with you guys and Carli, isn’t there?”

The defender who had been so quick to get off the phone, forgot her rush. The line once again went silent, only the sound of breathing let Moe know she had not been hung up on. 

Kelley’s heart was racing. Her mate had just run out of the room. Hope was still in the house at least, but she did not seem to be handling things well. Now Moe was asking questions that she shouldn’t be. Hope and Kelley weren’t ready to tell anyone. It would be nice to have an ally who knew the situation, but she couldn’t share her wishes, desires, or whatever the fuck that was going on with Carli without first talking to the woman about it. It wasn’t fair, and it also wasn’t fair to go saying something without consulting Hope.

Things were fucked up. Carli was supposed to be staying with them. She was supposed to find the love and acceptance she needed as she grew back into her health. She was supposed to listen to them about her health. They were supposed to take care of her, not scare her away. There were a lot of _supposed to’s_ and not a lot of _doing_ , at least not correctly. 

“Kelley?” Moe asked. It was only then did the defender realize how long she had been standing there lost in her own mind. 

She choked on her words. Every lie, every truth sticking in her throat. 

Moe waited as the line when silent again. “It’s ok, Kel. I think your silence is answer enough.”

The midfielder didn’t give her a chance to respond, cutting the line off. Kelley just stared at the phone in her hand. What did Moe know or think she knew now?

Following her mate’s way earlier, she cursed letting out a loud, “fuck”. Yep, their lives were fucked.

But for now that could wait. She had to go see about Hope, worried that perhaps the keeper had finally been overwhelmed and broken down like Kelley had been waiting for her to do. The smaller alpha had shed many tears since Carli’s departure, it weighing most heavily on her usually light and carefree heart. Hope, however, had not let a single tear far fall from her eyes, instead focusing on things she could control like training, calling to check on the midfielder, and above all else, cleaning. 

“Babe,” Kelley said softly, finding the keeper sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. “Talk to me.”

“How did we not see this?” Hope muttered.

“She’s really good at hiding things,” Kelley offered lamely. “She is!” she exclaimed when Hope snorted. 

“We still should’ve seen through it.”

“Maybe we should have,” Kelley said softly. “But we didn’t. She was always going to keep her walls up around us anyway, you know that.”

“I know,” Hope muttered. “I just wish she wouldn’t.”

“We’ll get there with her eventually.”

Hope looked at the defender, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Eventually isn’t good enough Kel,” the keeper said, her voice raised so the sound echoed off the walls. “She’s supposed to be ours. Moe isn’t supposed to be taking care of her, we are.”

“I know,” Kelley said wrapping her arms around the distraught alpha. “I know.”

“I’ll talk to her at camp and when we play them,” the defender said. “You can come too. To the game at least.”

Hope nodded. “We can see about staying in Houston a bit longer too,” she said. “Maybe we can finally talk to Carli and try to get through to her.”

Kelley nodded. “For now we just need to let Moe take care of her,” she decided. “And offer her support in any way we can.”

Hope sighed, but reluctantly nodded. “Fine,” she muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let us know your thoughts! Love it, hate it, let us know!


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli finds out Moe is going behind her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We know that this kind of seems like an angst-fest right now, but this story is planned out. It does get better we swear. Anyway, we hope you enjoy the new chapter!

One Week Later

“Carli, phone?” Moe yelled, her voice still laden with the last tingles of sleep trying to pull her back into the land of nod. She had pulled a groin muscle and, in Lloyd's opinion, was being a total baby about it. 

Morgan had deployed her brilliant plan. She hadn’t actually hurt herself at all. No, it had started as a way to stop halfway through their run and take a rest on a bench and escalated from there. She had seen an opportunity to finally get Carli to slow down, all she had to do was whine about her leg and ask _nurse Carli_ to help. 

It had even gotten Carli to eat a tiny bit more. Asking if she would sit there and eat with her made sure Moe was there to watch and count every bite, sip, or drink she took. Morgan felt very proud of herself coming up with such an ingenious plan. Carli couldn’t workout all the time or avoid eating when a sick Morgan, who had gotten “hurt” on her crazy workouts, needed her.

Carli groaned. She picked up the buzzing phone. Having the older omega wait on her hand and foot had made her careless though. She had been ignoring Hope and Kelley a bit, too busy enjoying the fruits of her plan. 

Carli was about to give the younger woman her phone when something stopped her, Hope and Kelley’s faces were on the screen. “Moe it’s a wrong number, just go back to sleep.”

Morgan just grunted, rolling over on the couch having every intention of doing just that. 

The older woman watched her friend for a minute before taking the stairs two at a time to the guest room. She knew Moe’s password by now, 0226, the midfielder’s birthday. She had seen her type it in enough.

Hope and Kelley had left a voicemail when their call had gone unanswered. Carli bit her lip. She didn’t want to hear their voices, but she wanted to know even more why they were calling Moe. It couldn’t be about her could it? Surely they wouldn’t invade her space after one incredibly large mistake of hot, passionate fucking. She honestly wanted to forget the whole thing, though it still plagued her dreams, the way Hope had caressed her, the way Kelley had looked at her like she was the crown jewel, and she was all hers. 

“Hey Moe it’s me,” Kelley’s voice came through the speakers on the small device. “We just wanted to check in and see how Carli was doing and if you were getting her to start eating again. Please, please call us back. We’re both dying to know if she’s getting better. Hopefully we’ll hear from you soon.”

Carli clicked off the voicemail, her hands shaking. ‘What do they want with me?’ she thought.

‘I’m eating just fine,’ she thought stubbornly. ‘There’s nothing wrong with my eating habits.’

She deleted the voicemail, placing the phone back on the table next to Moe downstairs before leaving the room. She grabbed her running shoes and started lacing them up. 

‘Hope and Kelley asked you not to go running by yourself,’ she reminded herself. 

‘They don’t own me,’ she thought angrily. ‘I left them because I needed space. Now all they are doing is trying to suffocate me. I’m fine! I don't need fixing!’

She grabbed her phone and mapped out one of her usual long routes she’d take if she needed a really punishing run, before grabbing the spare key and setting off, leaving Moe on the couch asleep.

\---

Her body hurt. She didn’t know how far she had run, but it had been hard and fast across the city she was at least familiar with after two years. It wasn’t like in Brazil. She knew, no matter what direction she ran, she could find her way home. She should have just gone back to where she was staying, forced Amber’s brother to go find a hotel room instead of her bed. She wasn’t supposed to be in town. She had barely anything in her room in the apartment anyway. She was more like a guest in Brooks’s apartment for the little time she was in Houston. They had a game in a couple days against Washington Spirit. Ali was going to play for her team, though it was still up in the air if she and Moe would. They didn’t have to. They would still be celebrating their gold medals from the Olympics if everything had gone according to plan.

It hadn’t though. Everything had been ruined by the Swedes, and now they were back home. Carli didn’t know where to go. All she could do was run. 

No matter how badly her legs hurt, she couldn’t get Kelley’s voice out of her head, the worry in her voice. She started to question every interaction with Moe. How much had her fellow midfielder told them? Was she just acting like their little watch dog on her now?

She needed answers, but first she needed some water. She had run miles away from the apartment; if she was going to get back, she need to hydrate. 

There was a small hole in the wall cafe. She smelled like sweat and frustration, but she didn’t care. The place was cold. She went up to the counter, ordering a bottle of water. The waitress asked if she wanted anything else, like something to eat. She had just shaken her head, not sure if she could stomach anything. She was never good at eating when she was emotional. 

A voice sounded from behind her. “You look like you could use at least a power shake, they have pretty good ones here. Let me buy you one.”

Carli turned. A tall female alpha was looking at her. She was wearing workout clothes as well. 

“I’m good thanks,” Carli said softly.

“I insist,” the female alpha said leaning over Carli and placing an order and paying for the two protein shakes. 

“I’m good really,” the midfielder said shaking her head as she took a sip of her water. 

The alpha looked over her before guiding her to a table in a corner. “No you’re not,” she said firmly. “You need to eat something, you’re shaking.”

“It’s from stress,” Carli said lamely, looking down at her hands that wouldn’t stop trembling. She dropped her hands down into her lap and clenched them around her water bottle.

“I’m a nutritionist,” the alpha said looking over Carli appraisingly. “Believe me it’s not from stress.”

The midfielder sighed as a barista brought over their shakes. She looked at the glass in front of her shaking her head. “I can’t really,” she mumbled.

“Well, I can’t eat two,” the alpha said amusedly. “So it’s all yours. It’s pitaya, it’s really good.”

“I’m not good at eating when I’m stressed or emotional,” Carli blurted out. “Or really ever.”

“I can tell,” the alpha said, prompting Carli to look at her quizzically. “You’re too thin.”

“I’m a professional soccer player,” Carli said defensively. “I’m supposed to be thin and lean.”

“I know,” the alpha chuckled. “But I can see your ribs through your shirt, and your collarbones are very prominent.”

Carli stared down at the table. “Everytime I want to eat….” she started. 

“You want to throw up,” the alpha finished. “It’s a common thing for omega’s that are too stressed or feel like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders.”

“I thought you were a nutritionist,” Carli said glaring.

“I have a degree in psychology too,” the alpha said smirking. “But I’m not here to judge you. I just thought you needed food.”

Carli nodded, accepting the answer. Her fingers played on the cool side of the glass. 

“Look, I’m not going to make you drink that. I know you’ll probably just throw it up if I do,” the woman said, a sad smile playing on her lips. “But I know that talking can help. I’m a stranger, someone that wouldn’t judge. If you want you can sit with me during my lunch break and talk.”

Something in the omega wanted to take her up on that offer, but she shook her head. “I have to get back.”

“You’re not going to run again are you?”

“I need to work out. It’s my job.”

“Well it’s my job to make sure people get the nutrients they need and don’t pass out. You shouldn’t go for a run. Can I call you an Uber?”

“No, I really have to run,” her eyes darted to the door. 

“Here is my card,” the alpha said, offering her the small square of paper. “And since I know you probably won’t make an appointment for yourself, I come here every Tuesday for lunch. Maybe we’ll run into each other again.”

Carli nodding, holding the card. She had no pockets. She nodded and went for the door. The nutritionist smiled sadly after the young woman. She couldn’t help but notice the protein shake left untouched on the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let us know how you feel! Love it? Hate it? Let us know!


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli opens up a bit to Ali.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a bit, I've been in (and still am in Australia) so our creative process has slowed down a bit. But, here's a new chapter, and we hope you enjoy!

**Several Days Later - Enter Washington Spirit**

 

“You haven’t touched your food,” Ali said, tilting her head. She was good at noticing things, especially when things were wrong with her teammates. It was only because Ash was around most of the time, distracting her from the little details that things slipped by her. Love was funny that way. 

Now though, she had her national teammate in her sights, nothing else distracting her. Morgan was out with her friends for the day. She wouldn’t be bothering them, which was exactly what Ali intended. She would be able to grill Carli about what was wrong without the younger midfielder interfering.

“I’m not hungry,” Carli said shrugging. 

Ali nodded before stealing a bite off of Carli’s plate. “We can take it to go then, so you can eat it later.”

“More like Moe will eat it later,” the midfielder said laughing lightly.

“True,” Ali said. “She eats everything in sight.”

“She does,” Carli agreed. “I don’t know how she does it. She even eats before practice.”

“You don’t?” Ali questioned.

Carli shrugged. “Not really.”

“But you eat after right?” the defender pressed, getting concerned.

“Yeah,” Carli lied unconvincingly. “Moe usually wants to stop and get something.”

“Carli,” Ali sighed. “You need to eat. Food isn’t the enemy.”

The older woman flinched as if she had been slapped. “They told you.”

‘They’ came out like a curse out of her mouth. Ali’s eyes opened wide. Things had been clearer, but she was honestly taking a shot in the dark as to what was wrong with the omega. She had had her own issues with food in the past when she was in Germany. She recognized the signs, but still didn’t want to believe their infallible captain was suffering from the same affliction that had plagued her for years. 

“How long?” Ali whispered. 

“Ali-”

“How long, Carli?” she said, this time her voice firmer.

“I don’t have to take this,” she argued. Carli moved to stand from her side of the booth, but Ali was faster. She was around the table slipping onto Carli’s side while the midfielder was still fumbling to grab her purse.

“We are going to sit here and talk about this. I don’t know who ‘they’ are, but ‘they’ didn’t have to tell me anything.” She paused, imploring the other woman with her eyes. “I...I know what it is like to not to eat. I know what it is like to see yourself as fat, as worthless every time you look in the mirror. I know what it's like in your head right now, so talk to me, ok?”

Carli shook her head miserably. “You’re just like Moe,” she said quietly. “You’ll tell them.”

“No I won’t,” Ali insisted. “I don’t even know who I’d be telling.”

Carli crossed her arms and looked down at the table, not saying anything. Ali sighed, seeing the normally closed off midfielder completely shutting down. 

“Carli,” she said firmly. “Look at me.”

She waited until the midfielder huffed and met her eyes, a clear challenge present in the stubborn glare. “How long have I known you?” she asked. 

“A while,” Carli said grudgingly. 

“How many secrets have I given away?”

“None of mine,” Carli admitted. 

“You don’t tell anyone your secrets,” Ali said, giving the midfielder a half-smile and a light nudge. “But why would that change now?”

Carli sighed. “I made a mistake,” she said softly. “A really big one.”

Ali laid a comforting hand on her leg. “It’s okay,” she said quietly. “I’m sure it's nothing that can’t be fixed.”

“Oh...you have no idea,” the midfielder moaned, her hands coming up to cover her face.

 

\--------

 

Ali took in Carli told her, not once letting surprise show on her face. She knew that might make the skittish omega shut down on her. Hope and Kelley had helped the omega through her heat. Ali wanted to say something to them, like ‘how stupid can you be’. She couldn’t do that though. She could tell they liked Carli, but obviously the omega didn’t realize how they felt, not that she was in place to even accept love from another. She needed to love herself first. 

“Carli, are you happy here with Moe?” 

The midfielder shook her head. No, everyday felt like she was drowning a little more. Moe was talking to Hope and Kelley about her. It felt like she was back with them. It was suffocating. 

“Then before the game, you leave. They already don’t expect you to play. You go to my apartment in DC. Don’t say anything to Moe and just go.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Yes, you can. I know you can because I did the exact same thing. Sometimes you just need to clear your head and you can do that there. Just...think about it.”

She placed her keys on the table. “Just take them and if you want to give them back to me before I leave that’s fine, but if you want an escape for a bit, then you can.”

Carli looked at them before slowly sliding them into her pocket. 

“Just let me know what you decide okay?” Ali said gently, covering the omega’s hand with her own.

Carli nodded and stood up to leave. 

“You don't need to go anywhere just yet,” the defender said softly. “Let’s finish our coffee and maybe do something else?”

Carli shrugged. “I don’t have anything else to do today besides practice,” she admitted, sitting back down.

“Good,” Ali said smiling. She gestured to the coffee sitting on the table. “Drink up, and let’s go.”

 

\--------

 

“I don’t know where she is!” Moe yelled into the phone for what felt like the hundredth time but was really probably only the eleventh. “Her stuff is just fucking gone.”

“How could you let this happen?” Kelley screeched into the phone.

Hope wasn’t even listening anymore. She was grabbing a handful of clothes and stuffing them in her go bag. She didn’t trust Moe anymore. She didn’t trust anyone really except for her mate and Carli.

“I didn’t do this,” Moe said frustratedly. “You did.”

“Watch yourself,” Kelley warned.

Moe huffed into the phone. “She probably overheard something,” she said. “But you know it’s true. You two need to woman up and face her.”

“It’s not that easy,” Kelley sighed. 

“Yes it is,” Moe said. “Just go talk to her!”

“Well if we knew where she was we could!” Kelley exclaimed.

“That’s not my fault,” Moe repeated. “Something happened that I’m not aware of. I can’t control that.”

“You were supposed to be keeping an eye on her!” Hope yelled.

“I did,” Moe groaned. “All I know is she met up with Ali yesterday, and now her stuff is gone. Call her and stop bugging me!”

Moe looked at the phone in shock. They had actually hung up on her. She could only imagine the conversation they would be having with the Washington defender. 

 

\--------

 

Ali groaned. Hope and Kelley were calling. She was tired. Jim Gabarra had run her ragged, more so than the other girls. She didn’t really like him, hopefully she would be leaving the Spirit sooner rather than later. She missed her partner. 850 miles apart was wearing on them.

“Hello,” she said, answering the phone. She didn’t even bother to turn off the hotel television. She didn’t plan on letting the two grill her about Carli. If they couldn’t talk civilly, well she could just go back to watching reruns of the Office then. 

“Where is she?” 

It was Kelley’s voice. She wasn’t surprised. Many thought Hope was the more aggressive one of the two, but the alpha defender could be a force to be reckoned with as well. Ali could still remember the anger and fear in Kelley’s eyes when Carli disappeared in Rio. 

“Not here,” she answered immediately. “If you’ve lost Carli, you should be looking for her, not trying to interrogate me.”

Kelley was silent. “I know you two talked,” she said eventually.

“We did,” Ali said. “And I haven’t seen her since.”

“Do you have any clue where she might have gone?” Kelley pleaded. “I need to know she’s safe.”

“Kell-” Ali sighed. “She can think for herself, she’s not a kid.”

“I know,” Kelley said softly. “But the things she’s told us- I don’t even know if she remembers telling us- just make me want her next to me all hours of the day. I’m so worried about her.”

“She’ll be okay,” Ali admitted. “I’m confident in that. She knows Houston, and she has lots of friends. She’ll be fine.”

Kelley sighed. “If you do see her, just keep an eye on her please, and make sure she eats.”

“I will Kel,” Ali said, before hanging up.

The omega sighed, the two had it bad for Carli. Despite her wanting to play match maker, she would keep her promise to her fellow omega. No one would know she had gone to Ali’s apartment in DC. 

 

\--------

 

“Ok,” Ali said clapping her hands. Carli had just got back from a ten mile run. It was more than she usually did in the mornings but the Twitter comments were getting to her. It wasn't fair that the Dash fans expected so much of her. They blamed her for the Dash’s poor performance because she hadn't been there like Ali was for her team. Guilt and anger gnawed her insides. 

“Hmmm,” Carli replied dully. 

“We are going to start a regimen to get you back to eating healthy.”

This got the midfielder's attention. “Excuse me?”

Ali wanted to roll her eyes. She was hoping the tired omega wouldn't put up a struggle, but this was Carli freaking Lloyd she was dealing with after all. 

“I told you I've been through this before. I know what your stomach can handle and what it can't. The key to recovery is baby steps. I just want to help you take the first one, ok?”

Carli actually rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. I’m not going through what you did.”

Ali sighed. “Then eat something,” she challenged. She pushed the rest of her protein shake towards the midfielder. “Finish that.”

“That’s yours,” Carli said eyeing the shake with distaste. 

“I can make something else,” Ali said, shaking her head. 

“I’m not finished working out yet,” Carli protested. “I’ve still got a core workout to do, if I eat before that I’ll throw up.”

Ali shook her head as she pulled the shake back towards herself. “Fine.”

Carli nodded and left the room, leaving Ali to shake her head and mutter to herself about stubborn omega midfielders.

 

\--------

 

“It’s just fruit,” Ali said, putting a plate in front of the midfielder. 

“I’m not-”

“Eat it,” the omega growled. 

The midfielder huffed. “It’s not like you can make me.”

Ali shook her head, a sad smile on her face. “I can’t force you, and I won’t threaten to tell Hope and Kelley or kick you out. But I can make things very uncomfortable and suddenly who knows you’ll find your things replaced by a sports bar or an apple until I see you eating.”

“I will just go somewhere else then,” Carli said, standing so Ali didn’t have the height advantage. 

“We’ll see,” the younger woman said smirking. She was sure this would work. It had worked on her so long ago. 

Carli huffed and crossed her arms as Ali left the room. She ignored the plate in front of her, focusing instead on game on the TV.

Ali watched from the doorway, shaking her head sadly. 

Carli’s gaze wandered over the fruit on the table. She could imagine eating it, tasting its sweetness. But just imagining it made her stomach recoil in disgust.

She eyed the plate hesitantly again, but her stomach heaved, and she turned away. The midfielder grabbed a blanket and tossed it over herself, shivering as the A/C turned on. 

Unseen, Ali sighed softly. She was hoping Carli would take the fruit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let us know what you think!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli goes to stay with Ali, and opens up to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a new one for you guys! This one has Carli opening up a lot more, so hopefully you guys enjoy it!

“Where are the balls?” Carli growled.

“I will get them for you when you eat the protein bar I left you,” Ali challenged. She had taken the midfielder’s gear and hid it in the one place she knew the older woman would not look, the pantry. She’d have to find a new place next time. Maybe Joanna would be willing to store some stuff for her temporarily. Lohman was always good at not asking questions.

“Tell me where my damn stuff is!”

Ali just gave her a sad smile. “Let me see you eat something and you will get one thing back.”

“Fuck you!” The older omega growled, stalking off. “I will just go buy a new one.”

Ali waited, counting the seconds before she heard the slam of a fist into a wall. It wasn’t just the soccer gear she had hid, but the car keys as well with the nearest sport store several miles away. 

The defender walked into Carli’s room a bit later, finding the midfielder sitting on the edge of her bed wrapped in a blanket. 

“Can I have my shoes at least?” Carli sighed. 

Ali wordlessly handed the midfielder a glass. Carli looked at it, the contents making her stomach give an unpleasant lurch. 

She shook her head wordlessly, setting the glass on the bedside table and curling up facing away from Ali. 

The defender smiled sadly before laying down behind the older woman. She wrapped her arms around Carli’s stiff frame.

“Why are you doing this?” Carli whispered.

“I’m trying to help you,” Ali said quietly.

Carli shook her head. “I can’t eat. Everytime I try… it doesn’t go well.”

“So you just stopped?” Ali asked sadly.

Carli nodded. “It was easier.”

Ali reached around Carli and grabbed the glass. “Try to drink a little of this,” she said, guiding the midfielder to sit upright. “It’s good for you. It’s what I started drinking when I was in Germany.”

Carli glared, but Ali didn’t back down. The midfielder finally accepted the glass, taking a small sip of it. 

“What’s in it?” she asked. 

“Fruits and veggies mostly,” Ali answered. “Some nutrient powder of course, and other stuff that Dawn gives us. But there’s no protein powder, so it should be good and easy on your stomach.”

Carli nodded, taking another small sip of the drink. “Can I have my stuff back?”

“Not yet,” Ali said, watching as Carli took another sip. “But eventually.”

The midfielder glared. Ali shrugged. “You’ve got to prove to me that you won’t hurt yourself.”

“I’m not hurting myself,” Carli scoffed.

Ali shook her head. “Really?” she said. “You aren’t hurting yourself by not eating? Or by driving yourself into the ground everyday?”

Carli shrugged. “I do what I have to do to stay on top,” she said. “I can’t stay stagnant, I can’t stop training. I’m already so behind because of…. because of what happened; I have to work even harder to keep up.”

“Who are you keeping up with?” Ali asked shaking her head.

“Everyone…. myself,” Carli muttered. “Did you see me in Rio? I’m no where near where I used to be.”

“Car,” Ali said softly. “Rio-”

Carli cut her off shaking her head. “Don’t you dare say Rio was different, or under a different set of circumstances,” she said fiercely. “A year ago I scored a hattrick, and now I can’t even find the back of the net against Colombia, are you kidding?”

“Carli,” Ali sighed. “A year ago you weren’t coming off of a screwed up MCL, or a non-stop period of play. When was the last time you actually rested?”

Carli shrugged. “I can’t rest, I have to keep training, or I’ll lose my spot,” she sighed. “Everyone expects me to perform, and when I can’t….”

“Who is everyone?” Ali asked.

“You guys, my Dash teammates, Randy, Jill, the fans,” Carli mumbled. “I have to perform, I have to score, or I’m useless to them, to everyone; I’m just another body in the midfield.”

“Car, no one thinks that,” Ali said softly. 

“Really no one?” Carli questioned shaking her head. “You should see the notifications I get on Twitter.”

“They don’t matter,” Ali said. “The fans don’t know the game, well most anyway, let alone knowing the pressure you’re under. They can’t judge you based on things they don’t know.”

Carli gave the defender a half-smile. “It’s never stopped them before,” she mumbled.

“Is that why you block so many of them?” Ali questioned. 

“Only the bad ones, like the really bad ones,” Carli admitted. “The ones that really get to me, I block, the rest stay.”

“Car, that’s not healthy,” Ali said softly. 

The midfielder shrugged. “What else am I supposed to do?”

“Ignore them,” Ali pleaded. “But don’t let them influence your life.”

Carli shrugged, taking a small sip of the drink again. “I’m trying,” she said, her voice small.

She put the glass on the table next to her after taking another drink. She leaned her head on Ali’s shoulder as the defender wrapped her arm around her, pulling her into her side.

“It’ll be okay,” the defender soothed. “We’ll get you through this.”

Carli didn’t say anything, content to lay with Ali. The defender’s hand slowly stroked the older woman’s side. She wasn’t sure how they were going to get this through. One thing was for sure, they needed to find a way to keep Carli off social media, and if at all possible, find someone for her to talk to. 

 

\--------

 

“Carli,” Ali whispered, her eyes glittered with the faint light of her phone. The two were cuddled under a blanket. The defender had a bowl of popcorn sitting on her lap. There was no butter or salt added. It was rather plan for Ali’s taste, but it didn’t seem to upset Carli’s stomach as badly as some of the other things they had tried. As the younger woman said, one step at a time. 

“What?” The midfielder mumbled, she wasn’t particularly interested in watching Grace and Frankie on Netflix. She had almost been asleep when the defender spoke.

“I want you to look at my phone.”

“What? Why?”

“Listen, I think you have come to trust me over these last couple days, and I don’t want to keep anything from you.” Carli started to move away from the younger woman, but Ali’s arms kept her in place. “No, don’t. It’s nothing bad, but I don’t want to be like Moe was.”

“Ali…”

“Hope and Kelley just sent out a text to the whole team asking if anyone has seen you.”

“What?” Carli felt her heart go into her throat. 

Ali wordlessly handed the midfielder her phone. Carli stared at the screen in astonishment before looking at Ali.

“You won’t tell them right?” she asked.

“No, I won’t,” Ali reassured her. “Not unless you want me to.”

Carli shook her head, handing the defender back her phone. “I don’t understand why they even care,” she muttered. “I’m not their responsibility or anything.”

“I think it’s more than that,” Ali soothed.

“Like what?” Carli snorted. “They can’t possibly want to talk about that night, unless it’s to tell me how I screwed up their relationship and how it should have never happened.”

“Who knows,” Ali said as she stared at the midfielder sadly. “But they won’t find out that you are here from me.”

Ali wanted to say something more. She wanted to tell the midfielder the looks she used to notice directed from both Hope and Kelley towards the superstar. She wanted the woman to know how hard the couple had worked to find her in Brazil, but she knew that, at least at this time, Carli would not be receptive to the truth. She was too stuck in her own head, dealing with other things to let the truth in. Hope and Kelley wanted her. 

 

\--------

 

“Carli,” Ali called. She was doing laundry. A card had fallen out of the midfielder’s pants. 

The midfielder frowned as she slowly stood from the coach. Ali had barely left her alone for a few moments. The two worked out together and stopped when Ali said to. She was the stronger of the omegas by far. For some reason, all it took was some submission pheromones and some annoying promises to hide the rest of Carli’s things, and the older omega was kowtowing to the defender. 

For some reason, Carli didn’t feel like leaving Ali. The younger omega wasn’t too bossy, and she wasn’t as annoying as Hope and Kelley might have been. She let Carli do what she wanted to some extent. She was her shadow. A shadow that unfortunately did not forget about her randomly like Moe had whenever her fellow middy’s boyfriend texted. For now at least, Carli was satisfied living with Ali, who at least could understand her problems to some degree.

“What?” the older omega asked as she leaned against the doorframe.

“Whose card is this?” Ali asked, holding up the small square.

“It’s just someone I met on a run,” Carli said shrugging. “She’s a therapist or something. I don’t really know.”

“Did you ever call her?”

“No,” Carli said shrugging. “I’m fine, I don’t need a therapist.”

“There’s something going on,” Ali said firmly. “You should talk to someone.”

“I’m talking to you aren’t I?” Carli said glaring.

“A trained professional,” Ali sighed.

“Why? So they can tell me how screwed up I am? How my competitive drive is some inadequacy issue that I’ve escalated, no thanks.”

“Carli, you still aren’t eating,” Ali said softly. “You should at least see someone for that, and find out why. If you ever want to carry pups, you have to gain more weight.”

Carli shot her a scathing look. “This is just a result of Rio,” she said shaking her head. “ _It’ll be fine._ ”

Ali shot her a look which Carli returned in full force. 

“Fine,” Ali relented. “But if you don’t start eating more, then there will be some changes happening.”

“Yah, what are you going to do, Krieger? You can’t force me to do anything!” The old feisty Carli was returning in full force. Ali only wished it wasn’t in these circumstances. She had been waiting to see even a little glimpse of the older woman’s old personality, but now she would have to fight her every step of the way.

“Lloyd, seriously, I will show you why they call me a _Warrior Princess_.”

Carli laughed derisively. “Oh Ali, seriously?” Sarcasm dripped from her words. “This has been fun and all, but I really don’t have to stay here. Especially if you decide that getting me “help” for my eating, or telling Hope and Kelley is in my best interest.”

“I won’t tell them and forcing food down your throat will just cause you to be sick,” the defender said, shaking her head. “But I know what they did for me in Germany and if I have to, I will drag you to counseling with me. and we will do it together.”

Carli shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong with me. Besides, I know myself much better than you do anyway.”

Ali sighed. She moved forward grabbing the midfielder before she could move away. Lifting up Carli’s shirt she stared at Carli’s exposed ribs and prominent hipbones. 

“Really?” she questioned. “Nothing's wrong, but you look like that?”

Flushing, Carli jerked away from Ali. The defender let her go, but didn’t let her leave.

“I’m trying to help you,” Ali said firmly. “I don’t want to threaten you, but if I have to I will.”

Carli scowled at the defender. “Fine,” she muttered. 

“Car, I’m really just trying to help,” Ali said softly. 

Carli turned her head, wrapping her arms around herself. “Can I go?” she asked, her voice cracking. “Or is that too much to ask?”

Ali pulled Carli into a hug. The older woman tried to fight her off, but Ali held on tightly. “I’m here to help you,” she said softly. “Not hurt you. Eventually you’ll understand.”

Carli fidgeted as Ali held her tightly. “Ali,” she mumbled. “You’re crushing me.”

The defender sighed but let go of Carli. “Let me finish this and then we can make dinner?”

Carli shrugged. “Can we work out first?” she suggested hopefully.

“We already worked out today,” Ali said. “That was enough, don’t you think?”

Carli shook her head. “I usually do so much more than what we did,” she said. “I feel lazy, and I have so much more energy- it’s weird.”

The defender shook her head at Carli’s enthusiasm. “Maybe tomorrow,” she said finally. “But tonight it’s movies and relaxing.”

“We did that _yesterday_ ,” Carli protested. 

“And we’ll keep doing that,” Ali said. “There’s a difference between training and burning yourself out.”

“I’m fine,” Carli said waving her hands frustratedly. “I’m not burnt out!”

Ali leveled Carli with a look. “I’m not,” the midfielder muttered. “I just need to train.”

The younger woman shook her head. “We can go to the field tomorrow,” she agreed. “But you have to eat more at dinner and breakfast okay?”

Carli nodded. “Okay,” she agreed eagerly.

Ali shook her head. Carli really was too predictable, a mention of training could get her to do almost anything. 

She’d see if Carli would agree to eating more though, before she did more extensive workouts for her.

 

\------------

 

“I miss Ash,” Ali said as Carli moved away from her. “She’d cuddle with me.”

“I don’t cuddle,” Carli said stiffly, curling up as far away as she could from Ali.

“Why not?” Ali asked. “Not even after sex?”

Carli shrugged. “It’s not comfortable to me,” she said simply. 

Ali leveled her with a look. “It’s not!” Carli protested. “Besides, you know me, when would I ever willingly be that close to someone?”

“You cuddled with me earlier,” Ali said. 

Carli rolled her eyes. “I was half-asleep, that was different.”

“But really not even after sex?” Ali asked.

Carli fidgeted uncomfortably. “I’m not really into sex,” she said quietly. “I’ve only ever had it when I was in heat.”

Ali looked at the midfielder in shock. “That’s the only time?”

Carli shrugged. She wrapped her arms around herself, refusing to look at Ali. “I’m not a sexual person,” she muttered. “I know I’m supposed to be because I’m an omega, but I’m just not. I don’t have the curves an omega should, I don’t have the sex drive, I just….”

Carli took a deep breath before continuing. “I just feel so out of place sometimes,” she said quietly. “I wish I wasn’t an omega. I don’t want to deal with my heats, with the stupid pheromones, with stupid alphas.”

Ali made a soft noise. “That’s why you stopped eating isn’t it?”

Carli shrugged in response. “Maybe,” she sighed. “I don’t know. Everything just became too much for me to handle. I can’t really eat when I’m emotional, but I’ve always been that way.”

Ali moved across the couch, her arms stretching around the midfielder. She ignored the noise of protest coming from the back of Carli’s throat, instead holding on tighter. “We are going to work on this.” She shook her head. “I should have known it had to be something bigger.”

The defender mentally berated herself. Her own eating disorder had been caused by the anxiety and depression of being separated from her mate, something Carli obviously wasn’t suffering from. She had not considered, however, that the other omega’s disorder had come from a similar area. If Carli wasn’t allowing her omega nature to come through, if she was suppressing it, then of course she would be depressed and even eating less. 

“We are going to fix this sweetie,” the younger woman whispered, as she pressed a kiss to the other omega’s temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let us know what you think! Are you starting to understand what's happening with Carli? We know it's been a long road, but it'll be getting better soon!


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope and Kelley get a call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's been a while, but here's the next installment! Hope you enjoy!

“What is this?” Carli asked walking into her room after a long workout. There were candles everywhere along with soft music playing from a little sound system that had definitely not been there before.

The midfielder stiffened as she felt two arms coming around her waist. “Hey, loosen up. It’s just me,” Ali murmured in her ear.

“I still don’t like contact.”

“I know, and we are going to work on that!” Ali exclaimed.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh come on, Lloyd. Don’t give me that look. Just some cuddling and a massage, okay?”

Carli wiggled out out of the defender’s grasp. She turned to face the younger woman. “I get massages all the time from the team’s staff. I don’t need you to do that.”

“Yeah but that is in the professional work environment, and you normally have your clothes still on.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll start off small, I’ll put a towel over your lower half so you don’t feel weird then you can put on a shirt and some undies and we’ll cuddle.”

“No, nuh uh, not going to happen, Krieger.” Carli started to go around the room, blowing on the various candles. Ali was having none of it. She once again grabbed the midfielder from behind. “Let me go!”

“Calm down,” Ali ordered.

Carli shook her head and wrenched free from the younger omega. “I’m leaving,” she muttered. She hurriedly began to throw her stuff into her bag, and began looking around for her phone.

“What are you doing?” Ali asked. She moved to stop Carli, but the woman moved out of her way.

“I can’t stay here anymore,” Carli said. “Not if you are going to do this.”

“I’m just trying to help you,” Ali protested loudly.

“You don’t have a clue,” the midfielder said shaking her head. “I came to you because I trusted you, and- and…. I can’t do this.”

“I’m just trying to help, I know what I needed to get better,” Ali said.

“What you needed-” Carli said cutting her off. “It’s not the same thing. So please stop trying to help me, and just let me leave.”

“No,” Ali said firmly. “I’ll stop, but I’m not letting you leave. Not like this anyway.”

Carli sighed, but nodded. “In the morning then,” she agreed. “I’ll head back to Houston.”

“Stay here,” Ali insisted. “Please, you need help, and I know you won’t get it on your own!”

“I will!” The midfielder protested, even as she knew the words coming out of her mouth was a lie. 

“Really?” The famous Krieger arched eyebrow rose, a look of disbelief clearly written on Ali’s face. 

“Fine! Look, I just know whatever it is this is,” she gestured around the room, “is not what I need, ok? It didn’t help with Kelley and Hope and it's certainly not going to help with you!”

Ali’s eyes were wide as Carli finished yelling. The midfielder didn’t even realize she had let the cat out of the bag until Ali’s soft question of “Hope and Kelley” caressed her ears. 

It was her turn to look stunned. She began to back track. No, one was supposed to know what had happened with the mated pair. “I...I didn’t mean…”

“It’s them isn’t it?” Ali asked softly, moving slowly towards the other omega.

Carli backed up further trying to keep a distance between herself and Ali, but she ran into the wall - only a couple feet from the door - and the defender was there keeping her from fleeing. The older woman had confessed something, a big something, and she wasn’t going to just let her leave without explaining it.

“Let me go, I don’t want to talk to you about this!” Carli yelled, trying to dodge around the other woman, but Ali was used her strength and reflexes to her advantage keeping Carli in the same spot away from the door. 

“What happened?!?” She demanded.

Suddenly, it was all too much. The defender in her face, her yelling back at Ali, the weight of the world, everything really. Hot tears streamed down her face in tiny continuous streams. Ali’s grip loosened, allowing Carli to slip the floor. 

The younger woman kneeled, her hand sliding over Carli’s chest, right over her pounding heart. “Sweetie, breathe with me. In and out. In and out. That's it.”

Carli shook her head, her vision no longer darkening at the edges as her lungs took full long breaths of air. “I did something bad,” she wheezed. The confession was in the back of her throat, ready to come out finally. 

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Ali asked softly.

Carli shook her head. “Not right now,” she muttered. “Telling you makes it real.”

Ali nodded. “Whenever you’re ready,” she said softly. 

Carli nodded her head. “Thanks,” she muttered.

A half an hour later, they were mostly still in the same position. “I told you I slept with Hope and Kelley,” Carli murmured. “Back in the diner in Houston.”

Ali nodded. 

“But what I didn’t tell you was that I left right after it happened,” she said sniffling. “I couldn’t face them the morning after, knowing I probably ended what they had.”

“You didn’t end anything Car,” Ali said softly.

Carli shook her head. “I fell in love with them. But... they- they don’t know that.”

“Honey,” Ali whispered, her mouth against Carli’s hairline as she dropped kisses on the damp brow. “Have you not seen how they looked you? They love you so much. Everyone can see how much they wa- need you!”

At that moment Carli Lloyd broke down. 

\------------

“You need to talk to them. You’ll never be able to move forward with everything,” Ali said, gesturing to the untouched breakfast on the table as well as the dark bags under the midfielder’s eyes. “Without talking to them first.”

“Please, don’t,” Carli croaked. 

Ali shook her head. What could she possibly say to make her fellow omega see things? If she wouldn’t do the right thing, then Ali was just going to have to break her promise and call in the only people who knew Carli’s pain. The only ones who were probably hurting just as much as she had. 

“You’ll need to talk to them eventually,” she finally said. 

“I know,” Carli sighed. “But not right now. I can’t.”

“What’s going to happen when Houston plays Sky Blue?” Ali asked. “That game is coming up isn’t it? Kelley will be there, and Hope will probably too.”

Carli hung her head. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “I don’t know what to say to them. ‘Sorry I slept with you, and ruined your relationship’ doesn’t exactly cut it.”

“You fucking listen to me, Carli Anne Lloyd,” Ali said, shaking her fellow omega. How could the girl not understand? She had seen the way both Hope and Kelley looked at her. She couldn’t be sure, not without talking to the couple, but she was willing to bet her World Cup medal that the couple were more than happy with Carli joining them. Afterall, why else had they sent out a mass text asking if anyone had seen or knew where she was. If only Carli hadn’t blocked their numbers, perhaps, the truth of the matter would be known by now. “You did not ruin their relationship! Have you not seen how much they love you! Both were beside themselves when you went missing. They care for you more than you see.”

“They don’t,” Carli protested, shaking the words out of her head lest they give her hope.

“Oh, sweetheart. You have no idea,” the defender sighed. 

\------------

“Ali?” Kelley said into the phone. “You realize that I am not in New Jersey, and it’s…,” she paused looking at the clock on the bedside table. “Six in the morning here.”

“Listen carefully and shut up because I don’t have a lot of time,” Ali whispered. Carli was taking a shower after a light jog together. She was listening for the water to shut off. If she was lucky, Carli would take longer than her usual five minutes under the hot spray. “Get a pen and paper this is important.”

“Krieger, seriously what the fuck is going on?” Kelley asked sitting up in bed. Hope groggily rubbed her eyes. Both had not been sleeping well at night, leading their mornings to start later and later as they barely could manage getting out of bed in the morning. 

“I know where Carli is and I know her new number. Now I am going to give it to you, but you need to call from a number she won’t recognize so listen to me very carefully. At 3pm you are going to call the number I give you from a prepaid phone, preferably one that does not have Seattle or Jersey area code if you can manage it. I will make sure she answers and stays on the phone.”

“We aren’t in-” Kelley started to say.

“No, don’t tell me where you are. I don’t want to know. I have to go anyway. Now here is the number…”

\------------

Carli stared at an incoming number on her screen. “Do you know who this is?” she asked.

“No,” Ali lied. “But you should answer it. It’s probably a teammate or something.”

Carli shrugged before picking up the phone. “Hello?”

“Car?” the voice on the other end asked. “Is that you?”

“Who is this?” Carli asked, putting the phone on speaker and looking over at Ali.

“Thank goodness!” Kelley exclaimed. “We were so worried.”

Hope took the phone from the defender. “Will you at least talk to us?” she questioned.

“Hope? Kelley?” Carli asked. She turned to face Ali completely. “What the hell?”

“Stay on the line,” Ali pleaded. “They want to talk to you. Please, just let them.”

“I...I…” Car tried, her voice sticking in her throat as her mouth was suddenly parched, her lips sticking together. “Wha-”

“No, don't speak, Car. Just listen, ok?” Hope spoke, her voice soft and gentle as if she were trying to coax a frightened animal out of hiding. 

“We are sorry if we hurt you that night, but we need you to know something. Kelley why don't you-”

“Okay. So we talked, Hope and I, like really talked, and we think that...you might be our one.”

“What?” The omega croaked, her voice still not working. 

“You're not explaining it right,” Hope hissed. “It's...well it's more like we realized we want...well, to pursue you.”

“Really that's what you went with?” Ali asked trying to keep from face palming. 

“What do you want us to say?” Kelley asked, getting cranky. She had spent one too many sleepless nights for the past few weeks. There had been too many dead ends as they tried to track down the missing midfielder. “That we are in love with her! That we can't sleep or think or eat because our inner alphas are going crazy not knowing if she is safe or happy. That all we want to do right now is hold her and tell her all this!”

There was silence for a moment after Kelley's outburst. 

“Don’t say things you don’t mean,” Carli said. 

Ali looked at the midfielder, seeing her drawing back into herself. 

“We mean it Carls, we really do,” Hope countered. “We want you to be ours.”

“That’s insane,” Carli said shaking her head. “You two are happy together. Just leave me out of it, you don’t need a third to screw it all up.”

“We want you,” Kelley said firmly. “Please, just let us love you.”

“I need to think,” Carli said finally. She sighed heavily into the phone. “Can you give me some time?”

“Only if we know where you are, and that we can talk to you,” Hope said. “For our peace of mind.”

“I’m heading back to Houston tomorrow,” Carli said. “I need to start training again. I’ll talk to you in person after the game against Sky Blue.”

“Okay,” Kelley breathed. “Is that enough time for you?”

“No,” Carli murmured. “But if I give myself more, I’ll overthink it.”

“We’ll see you in Houston then,” Hope said finally. 

“See you in Houston,” Carli echoed numbly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let us know what you think! We're making more progress now! Love it, hate it, want more one-shots? Let us know!


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli returns to Houston.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys. So this is coming out later than intended. We've run into some problems along the way, but rest assured we haven't forgotten about this fic. Life is just rough at times, so please bear with us. 
> 
> That being said, here is the newest installment of Hurting. We hope you enjoy!

“You know I had to,” Ali said. They hadn't mentioned the call with Hope and Kelley since it happened. The defender grabbed her fellow omega’s arm as she tried to exit the car, the long way back to Houston through check-in, security, and most importantly Starbucks calling her name. 

“You didn't have to,” Carli muttered. 

The defender just shook her head, knowing Carli wouldn't see it now but hopefully would someday when she was securely with the alphas that so obviously adored her. “Have you at least thought about what they said?”

“It's all I can think about,” Carli whispered, just barely loud enough for Ali to catch. The older omega was looking like she been having a worse time than she was before she came to DC. It was obvious the girl hadn't been getting any sleep. 

“And you'll call them?”

Carli finally turned her head, making eye contact with her teammate. “They texted me this morning. I guess you must have told them I had a flight out today because they made me promise to call them when I got through security.”

Ali didn't dare deny it. She hadn't talked to the alphas per say, but she did forward Carli’s flight confirmation to KO. What they did with the information was their business. 

“Just be safe.”

“I will,” the broken omega said, going to get out of the car again. Ali followed, helping her with the still to-be checked luggage in the back. 

When everything was out, Ali grabbed Carli, holding her close. “Promise me you'll give them a chance.”

She pulled back looking Lloyd in the eyes. The midfielder was silent for a long time, but eventually nodded her head. Ali was satisfied. At least for the time, not pressing the issue anymore, she let go and helped her friend carry her bags into the lobby. 

“Let me know when you land?” Ali questioned. Carli nodded. 

“Thank you,” Carli sighed. “For letting me stay here.”

Ali nodded. “I’m sorry for pushing you.”

Carli shrugged. “Hopefully it’ll work out. If not…” She trailed off, her eyes downcast. Ali understood the unspoken words. If it didn’t work out between her and Hope and Kelley, she probably wouldn’t survive the heartbreak.

“It’ll be okay,” Ali said softly. “Just have a little faith. They love you.”

Carli swallowed. “I know they do.” 

Ali gave her a soft smile. “See? You can stop worrying then.”

Carli shook her head. “Thanks again Ali. I’ll see you soon.”

The midfielder began walking away, when Krieger remembered something. “Wait?”

The older woman raised an eyebrow turning around. Ali had rushed up to her, extending her hand. “Here take this.”

“What is it?” she asked before realizing she knew exactly what it was. It was the card Ali had found in her pocket, having fallen out when doing laundry. It was the nutritionist’s number. “Oh.”

“Please give her a call.”

Carli nodded her head. “I don’t-”

“Please.”

“Okay, okay. If it will make you feel better, then I will set up an appointment. But I am only promising that I will go to one.”

“That’s enough, thank you,” Ali hugged her again, squeezing her tight. 

 

\------------

 

The flight was thankfully uneventful. No one tried to talk to her and in return she didn't try to talk to them. It was a perk of first class she was very thankful for. 

She turned down the meal and snacks from the flight attended, not feeling any hungrier than she ever was. Instead of calling Moe or another teammate, she sent for an Uber. They at least didn't ask her questions. Houston wasn't a big women’s soccer town, she could go many places without being recognized. 

Her legs burned as she ran the practice field over and over, dribbling a ball at her feet. It was too hot for any of her colleagues to be out. It was just her and the field, no one else, as the sun glared down on her, its rays having no mercy as sweat poured down her neck. She only lasted an hour, even the cold water not being enough to let her stay out there. She had ignored the two times her phone rang, knowing who it was from. She would call them, but later, after she got training in.

Luckily, the field she liked to go to, even with its artificial turf, was close to her house. Walking distance. She had the Uber driver drop her off at the field. She hadn’t even bothered to go to her apartment. Not much would be waiting for her. Bills, a mattress, and a tv. She lived a pretty spartan existence in Houston, much of her time being spent in New Jersey. 

She didn’t have any food there either. Nothing that would make her stomach turn just at the sight. She didn’t need any. It wasn’t like Ali hadn’t packed proteins bars secretly in her bag when she wasn’t looking anyway. Carli had been very displeased to see half a dozen wrappers sticking out of her laptop bag when going through security. She had been tempted to throw them away, but fought the urge, knowing eventually she would have to eat something or she might just pass out. 

Sighing she went about her business, showering and putting things away. Only when she satisfied there really wasn’t anything left to do, she sat down, pulling out the phone and clicking the re-dial button. She didn’t bother listening to the voicemail. No, she would do that after the call. 

“Carli?” Kelley’s voice sounded through the phone. “Carli!”

“Hey,” Carli said. “I’m calling to let you know I landed.”

“You landed hours ago,” Kelley protested. 

Unseen, Carli shrugged. “You told me to call when I landed, so I’m calling.”

“Car, are you okay?” Hope’s voice sounded through the phone.

“I’m fine, just tired.”

Kelley hummed as she shared a concerned look with Hope. “We’ll let you go then okay? But can we call you tomorrow to check in?”

“I’m fine,” Carli sighed. 

“We know,” Hope said softly. “But we just want to make sure. We’re really not trying to overstep here, because we know you needed time. But we still want to talk to you.”

“Fine,” Carli relented. “You can call tomorrow.”

“What time?” Kelley asked eagerly. 

“In the evening. I’ll let you know.”

Carli hung up the phone, and buried her head in her arms. “How am I supposed to deal with this?” she muttered. She sighed before getting up to get herself a glass of water, picking up one of the protein bars Ali had given her as well. She unwrapped the bar, taking a small bite out of it. Her stomach churned as she tasted its chocolate flavor, but she finished chewing and swallowed, sliding the bar back into the wrapper, in favor of taking a drink of water.

A knock at the door made her look up from the glass. She shook her head, deciding to ignore it, but the knocking continued. 

Carli groaned, walking over to answer the door. She didn’t bother looking through the peephole, as the knocking persisted. 

Immediately, she was tackled into a hug by Morgan Brian. “You’re such an idiot, you know that?” the younger midfielder said. 

“Moe?” Carli questioned, wrapping her arms around her teammate, and rubbing her back awkwardly. “What are you doing here?”

“Ali texted me,” Moe said, letting go of Carli. “She said you were back. I can’t believe you left like that!”

“You were talking to Hope and Kelley about me!” Carli said heatedly. “What did you expect me to do?”

“Yeah, barely,” Moe said rolling her eyes. “They were really concerned Car-”

“Even more so when you brought up my eating habits I’m sure,” Carli muttered crossing her arms. 

Morgan groaned, turning and grabbing something she had left outside, before stepping back into Carli’s apartment, and shutting the door behind her. She walked down the hall into the kitchen, sitting at the bar. Carli followed her hesitantly. 

“I’m not sorry I did it,” Moe said, pulling stuff out of the bag she had brought with her. “I brought dinner.”

“Dinner?” Carli repeated.

The younger midfielder rolled her eyes. “Eat what you want, what you can. I’m not going to judge you. But water and a bite of a protein bar won’t sustain you for long.”

“Moe-” 

“Car, a lot of omegas go through something similar at one point or another. Usually their omega parent helps them, or an omega sibling, or both, or a therapist.”

Carli stared at the younger omega uncomprehendingly. 

“What you’re going through is normal, or it was. But now it can impact your ability to carry children.”

Carli sat down slowly, grabbing her glass of water. “What do you mean?”

“Usually if an omega goes through this, it is earlier in their lifetime, typically after they present. Sometimes it has to do with the anxiety of being an omega, so they shut down, or seek to control something. Sometimes, like in Ali’s case, it has to do with separation from their mate.”

“So?” the older midfielder said, licking her lips. “If lots of omegas go through something similar, then why is it a such a problem?”

“Car, most omegas don’t go through it when they are older,” Moe said placing a hand on her arm. “Look my sister is a doctor, specifically for omegas. She’s seen countless individuals go through something similar at different stages, even at your stage. She can help.”

“I’m fine,” Carli said flatly. 

“Look I get it, I’m not mated either-”

“It’s not that,” Carli said sharply. 

“Then what is it?” Morgan asked her pleadingly. “I hate watching you like this.”

Carli softened sensing her distress. “It’s complicated,” she murmured. 

“I know about Hope and Kelley,” Moe said softly.

Carli looked up sharply. “What?” she demanded.

“I know they are in love with you,” the younger omega said gently. 

Carli looked at Morgan strangely. “They told you that?”

“They didn’t need do,” she said. “It was obvious, their concern for you. Their demands about your well-being, the way they checked-in on you multiple times a day. I still have the texts if you want to read them.”

Numbly, Carli nodded her head. “Please,” she said faintly. 

Morgan reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone and unlocking it. Carli tried her best to ignore the ‘unread’ ones from “doctor sister”, but she couldn't help herself as the words “did she eat anything I suggested” were in bold black letters on the illuminated screen. Moe quickly flicked past this, clearing her throat. “Tell you what why don’t you try to eat while you read these?”

The older woman’s stomach turned, but she nodded and began unpacking the bags. She was pleased to see in all they were a pretty bland fair, oatmeal, broth, sourdough, risotto, and much more. “How many places did you go to for all of this?”

Moe shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Just a couple. Consider it an apology for...you know. I never should have talked to them without your knowledge.”

Carli shrugged. “Ali did it too,” she muttered. “I guess I should just get used to the team meddling in people’s affairs.”

Moe looked up at her, her gaze sharp. “Car, everyone was terrified in Rio. Terrified for you. Then when Hope and Kelley texted me, I was more concerned. Then you left, and didn’t tell me anything…”

Carli bit back a retort, seeing how worried Morgan actually was. “I’m not used to this,” she said softly. 

“Not used to what?”

“People actually caring,” she said softly. 

Morgan looked at the older omega sadly. “I know your parents kicked you out, but surely…” 

Carli shook her head. “They don’t care anymore, not about me anyway. They were supposed to come see me play once when we were in Philly. They left halfway through the game, and didn’t bother telling me. I found out from someone I knew after I spent two hours waiting for them at the stadium.”

Moe made a choked off noise of disbelief. “They’re so dumb Car, to not see how amazing you are.”

“Are they really though?” the older omega asked. “If I were them I would have just stayed away. I’m just a train wreck waiting to happen it seems.”

“No,” Morgan said firmly. “Rio was a freak thing. You are not a train wreck. Shit happens even to the best of us. Remember when Pinoe tore her ACL before the Olympics? She still made it to Rio. Shit happens, it just matters on how you respond to it.”

“When did you get so smart?” Carli asked.

“When you live and train with some of the most competitive but stubborn soccer players in the world, you don’t really have a choice,” Moe said cheekily. “Now eat something. You’ll feel better.”

Carli glared at the younger midfielder, but pulled the bowl of risotto towards her. “You have to eat something too.”

Moe rolled her eyes. She grabbed Carli’s unfinished protein bar from earlier. “I already ate dinner,” she said. “And I’m not going to eat any of that. That’s specifically for you.”

Carli rolled her eyes in response, but took a bite of the food. It settled heavily in her mouth, and she swallowed immediately taking a drink of water.

“Hey,” Moe said, her eyes searching her face carefully. “It’s okay, it really is.”

The younger omega placed her hand on Carli’s arm, letting her feel the comforting weight. 

“Just take another bite,” she encouraged. “It’s okay, you can do it.”

Carli sighed, but looked at the bowl, lifting a second bite to her lips. The risotto settled just as heavily in her mouth, but this time she was more prepared for it, chewing and swallowing it down with a drink of water.

“You’re doing so good,” Morgan murmured. “Let’s try some more okay?”

The midfielder sent a half-hearted glare towards the other omega, but continued eating, her bites slow and steady before she finally set down her spoon. Half the bowl was gone. Carli slumped backwards in her seat, already feeling the food she’d eaten beginning to settle in her stomach. 

“Easy,” Moe said softly. “It takes a lot to get used to again, I know. But it’s okay.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I did it and Ali did it,” Moe replied. “And I know you can do it.”

The midfielder sent a glance in her direction. “When you were younger?”

“Yep,” the younger omega confirmed. “It wasn’t easy, but I did it. And you are going to do it too.”

“It’s easier like this though,” Carli murmured, playing with her spoon. 

“I know it is,” Morgan said softly. “But trust me, it does get better. And I’ll be there to help you through it.”

“Like last time?” Carli asked sarcastically.

Moe laughed. “Not like last time,” she said. “I was wrong, but I think I said that already.”

“I don’t know what to do Moe,” Carli sighed. 

“About Hope and Kelley?” the younger midfielder asked. 

Carli nodded miserably. 

“Sleep on it,” Moe said. “Eat a bit more first, but sleep on it. You can read the texts in the morning, when you have a clear head.”

“You think so?” 

“I know so.”

“Will you stay here tonight?” Carli muttered, turning away from Morgan so she couldn’t see her embarrassment. 

Moe nodded immediately. “I wasn’t planning on leaving anyway,” she admitted. “At least not tonight.”

“Thank you,” Carli said. 

“That’s what friends are for,” Moe said, pulling the midfielder into a hug. “They help you when you need it.”

The older woman nodded. “But still,” she murmured. “Thank you for everything.”

“You don’t need to thank me Car,” Moe said earnestly. “You’re my friend, and that’s what friends do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hope you enjoyed it! Please let us know what you think. Love it, hate it? We want to know!
> 
> Thank you again for being patient with us as we continue to write.


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